Time Mistress
by sorutan
Summary: Let the symphony of tragedy begin.
1. Prelude

"Red is the color of spirit."

The corridor was dark, a sleek black stone acting as its overall surface. The walls were lined with obsidian that circled outward, much like a cave. The floor, an iridescent marble, reflected images in a colorless abyss. Torches that lined the hall were some of the only hints of color, as the fire they held were an unnaturally blood red flame flame, dancing across every reflective surface possible with shadows of the other lights in tow. At the far end of the hall, a wide window depicted a full moon that graced its light into the dark hall. On the other end was where a small ledge sat, were scarlet curtains draped upon the walls, a plush scarlet throne, littered with golden emblems and embellishments, centered in its presence.

A woman bathed in ruby cloth stood before the moonlight, her face obscured in shadow. If one were at the right angle to see her satisfied smile, a line of freshly brushed white teeth could be seen ear to ear. Her long strands of thick vermillion hair cascaded to the floor in subtle waves, to her draped cape and dress. By her side stood an ebony staff, twisted and gnarled like black roots and seemingly thorny at the touch, but her gloved hand curled around its post with ease., A glowing red stone glimmered as its centerpiece, pulsating with a strange sort of energy that one could find safety in looking at, but only be deceived by the demonic aura surrounding it.

"Red," she spoke again, the acoustics of the room reverberating her silky voice, "is the color of passion." She tapped her staff to the floor, and in a brief shimmer of light, a multitude of envelopes appeared and encircled her. Their parchments were worn and yellowed, but a red dot of wax stood out in each envelope, each pressed with an ornate insignia of a peculiar circle with an off-center cross. "It is the color of lust and sexuality. The color of hunger, the color of power, the color of war…" She pursed her painted lips in a smile, mentally counting each letter to herself, the names of its recipients scrawling itself in ancient script. "The color of the blood that circulates our very existence. But, more importantly," she paused as she stroked a passing envelope that just finished its 'm' at the end of its name, a stylish flourish curling at its end. "It is the color of revenge and will." She sighed, and whisked her head to face the window.

The woman chuckled as the envelopes danced around, creating shifts in her shadow and passing parchment in her sight. "The souls of this universe are such interesting creatures. What they each think of red is always contrasting." She sighed dreamily, as if she were wistfully thinking of another sunrise to come. "They always choose the Id over Ego, though. They may all be different, but in their basic form, they are all the same. Innately selfless, disorganized-" she spat at the perfect floor in distaste, "Heroic. Pah. Surely these beings require a lesson - a lesson I will bring in song."

With a flick of her wrist, she raised the staff and pointed it towards the path of the blue-white moon through the open window. "I'd love to see how these particular creatures enjoy their color red." As if taking orders, the envelopes rose towards the window and out into the open sky, disappearing into the soft moonlight in flashes of glyphs and magic.

"Shall we begin the prelude to our symphony of revenge?" She called to the night, bending her body to see each paper disappear in the realm. With a hand tucked under her cheek, she closed her eyes and concentrated with an excited grin.

* * *

A king sat in his castle, staring out the stone window and into the world below. The air was dry, but a gentle wind continued to dwell in the area, through his blue locks and into his aged, sapphire eyes. The same eyes, though brilliant and bright, have been worn down through the countless years of war, as many a death have been viewed in these eyes. Nonetheless, the man continued to smile and be content, as his beloved nation, while continued to be in ruin, has been peaceful for years and is rebuilding, returning to the beautiful and powerful continent the prince had remembered in his youth more and more every day. Naturally, there were the occasional bandits and rogues, but the people of his nation worked hard for him, as he lived for the people, and the people were happy. Thus, he was happy.

A brisk knock on the door interrupted his thought. The door creaked open and a girl, face soft and hair a vivid turquoise, peaked her head through, smiling playfully. "Dear, I bring amazing news," she announced rather loudly to ensure that he listened.

"Caeda," he greeted, curious of her sly actions. "What is it?"

Caeda frowned, stepping into the room dramatically her arm clearly tucked behind her back. "My, you don't seem that excited. I guess it isn't that important to you when your own wife brings news of something you love dearly." She giggled playfully, beaming at him with an expectant gaze.

The man laughed as he was drawn toward his partner, gently kissing her lips upon his arrival. Very stealthily, he slid his hand to close his fingers around hers, smiling when they met foreheads. "I have no reason to be excited if I don't even have a clue as to what I need to be excited for, Caeda." He teased.

"Guess then! C'mon Marth, I know it's something that you love to do." She smirked. "Well, more than me."

"Caeda!" He drew back, blush burning at his cheeks that he tried to cover with his hands. "Th-thats-"

"Joking! Now guess already!" Caeda teased, taking a step forward.

Marth noticed the slight movement of Caeda's arms held behind her back. They moved, as if she were waving the item behind her. "Hmmmm…. is it flowers? Or chocolate?" The king guessed.

"Horrible guesses." Caeda deadpanned, shaking her head. "Try again."

"Dinner?" Marth perked up immediately, hunger at the tip of his tongue and growling stomach. His wife tittered yet again, shaking her head with a newfound smile at her lips.

"I may be a great cook, but that is beside the point. Guess again."

Marth paused, carefully processing what her initial conversations provided. "Caeda... Are you pregnant?" Marth gasped.

"Marth! Gods no!"

He shrugged, tossing up his hands in surrender while shaking his head in clear defeat. "I guess I am too bad at playing this game. I give up."

Caeda pouted. "You're no fun at all," she sighed. "but I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore." She held up her right hand and dangled an envelope in front of his face. The parchment was slightly discolored from white, and a bright red dot of wax sealed the letter. A circular logo with two lines intersecting each other was stamped into the wax, his name written in a curled script of charcoal, as if it had been burned into the let

The moment Marth's sight caught the red of the wax symbol, his heart stopped. He quickly grabbed the enveloped and broke the seal, his eyes scanning the ink words at an alarming rate. "I…" Any coherent words at the time had left him his mouth gaped open in mere shock. "I can't … it really has been a while since they hosted another one…"

"Is that really all you have to say?" Caeda interrupted. "I want to see you happy! There's another tournament!"

"There's another tournament…" he muttered to himself, his voice increasing in volume. "There's another tournament!" He dropped the letter and grabbed Caeda by the hips, lifting her and spinning her around and lost in the joy he felt. "I was pondering about my friends there the other day," he breathed, setting down his laughing wife. He passed a kiss to her cheek as he spoke in her ear. "I had remembered that Link still owes me a rematch from our last spar." He moved backwards, fists closing to his chest. " A-And I must pass down your roasted chicken recipe to Ike. Oh, what tremendous news!"

"Now that is a much better reaction!" she giggled. Her laughter halted as she glanced at her husband with a more serious reaction. "I know how happy this makes you, and believe me, I want nothing more than to see you be happy. But…" she glance away for a moment, "please promise me you'll be careful and safe. With what happened last time…"

"I know," he reassured her, literally brushing her words aside with his hand. "But Subspace no longer exists, nor does Tabuu. We had taken care of that a long time ago." His memories flooded in a blink of an eye, all of how the 3rd annual Smash Tournament had been halted by the presence of the Subspace Emissary. A chill ran up his spine as he remembered how the purple flecks in the ground would combine to create such foreign monsters to him, threatening himself and the other competitors. He remembered the man behind it all - Tabuu, a higher power than the Master Hand himself, that played everyone by the strings. It took a combined effort of everyone to assure Tabuu's defeat - but still, Marth found himself wondering of his or his consorts' return.

"Still… promise me that if anything happens, come straight home. Your country and your wife need you more than this tournament." He rose his head to see Caeda, worried swept across her eyes and her hands curled to her chest. She loomed closely to him, carefully wrapping him in a hug.

He smiled warmly and kissed her lips again, rubbing her back in careful assurance. "I promise that nothing will happen, I swear on it." To seal the deal, he brought his pinky to hers in a closed swear.

"Good." Caeda sighed, pulling herself away to firmly grasp Marth's shoulders. "Now, I should help you gather your things. It's starting in a few days!"

* * *

A Pokemon was in his master's house, wrestling said master in a friendly play-fight that he was thoroughly winning due to his massive size, particularly in comparison to the sixteen-year old human that he had pinned to the floor. His long time rival, the Pikachu his master also owned, clapped and cried excitedly, his red cheeks buzzing with enthusiastic electricity. The same electricity was why he wasn't participating in the sparr, as he could accidentally electrocute the poor boy. Having a fire-breathing Charizard fight with him wasn't the best choice either, in hindsight.

The boy, whose odd name was Red, had his favorite hat knocked off his head from the sheer, but restrained, strength of his Charizard and revealed a messy mop of brown hair. The boy, while shoving and wrestling with his Pokemon, was laughing and clearly having the time of his life, Charizard noted. His love for Pokemon was vast, nothing like anything the dragon or Pikachu had ever seen before, and would sacrifice anything for the sake of his friends. His Squirtle and Ivysaur, safely tucked away inside their respective Pokeballs, would agree.

However, his strength didn't necessarily lie in playful combat, and was hastily forced to yield under the crushing weight of Charizard. The Pokemon lifted himself off the boy and sat himself on the floor beside him.

"That was….. so unfair ….!" Red heaved in between breaths, sprawled across the floor. "I'll never … challenge a Charizard again… you can have those PokePuffs now… you too, Pikachu..." Charizard and Pikachu joined in cheerful roars. After catching his breath, the trainer sat up and grabbed his hat, placing it over his messy hair. "Man, note to self, never wrestle a Charizard again until I become a wrestling champion." Charizard growled in response. "I know, buddy, you definitely deserve the medal more than me. Now, lemme grab my bag-"

The doorbell rang, followed by numerous, questionably excited knocks on the door. Charizard watched as Red hurried to his feet and to the door, to which he jumped in surprise as he opened it.

In the frame of the door was the Lucario that Red, Charizard, and Pikachu had both been familiarized to a long time ago. The wolf-like Pokemon bore a friendly scowl, and a nod in greeting to each resident. Next to him was an unfamiliar face: a human girl, with an admirable fashion sense that Red would enjoy, with long, thick curly hair and clear grey eyes that beamed with a sort of charming friendliness. Charizard felt a familiar presence in her, but couldn't quite remember where he had seen her before.

"L-Lucario…" Red had managed to speak, immediately recognizing the lone Pokemon, "it's been a while…" He turned to the girl. "And, uh…" Lucario, Red remembered, was only loyal to Sir Aaron and no one else. So it was easy to deduce the girl was not his trainer. Nonetheless, why would the Pokemon travel with her? Red's puzzled face must've been written across his face, because the girl immediately leaned closer to him.

"Hello!" she chirped, her voice ringing in bell-like tones. "This Lucario and I have special deliveries for your Pokemon. May we come in, please?" Still baffled, Red turned to courteously allow the visitors in.

"Sure, but," Red inquired quietly as the two passed him, "who are you exactly…?" The girl and Lucario brushed past him and into the small living room that seemed much more cramped with the amount of people and Pokemon in it.

"My name is Serena," the girl said, lowering her purse onto the living room table. She took her seat, smoothing out her skirt on her lap, and sat primly in a lady-like position. "I'm all the way from the Kalos region. It has been quite a trek."

"Serena… wait, _the_ Serena, the new Kalos Pokemon League Champion?" Charizard now remembered where he had seen her face. It was on TV, where a parade was happening in her honour for both becoming the Champion and stopping Team Flare from unleashing a horrible disaster onto the world for their need of a more "perfect" one. "I-I can't believe it…" Red stuttered, "you're like a movie star! And an actual fashion icon, apparently! So many magazine covers..."

She giggled at his stammering. "It's ok, I'm not actually that big of a deal. I think you're the first person in a long time to be so starstruck." She smirked mischievously, nodding her head towards him. "Besides, I should be saying the same about you, Red the Kanto League Champion."

"I-It's not that big of a deal… that was a while ago." Red huffed, looking at the floor with a hand scratching the back of his head.

"So we're even then!" She paused, still retaining her smile. "Now, you're probably wondering why we're here, right? Well, have I got a surprise for you." With that, she opened her purse and pulled out two envelopes, each sealed with a dot of red wax. She threw her free fist into the air in pure passion. "Your Charizard and Pikachu were both invited back to the new Smash Bros. tournament!"

Red, Pikachu, and Charizard immediately recognized the envelopes and felt an immediate flurry of joy. The trainer grabbed the envelopes from Serena, tearing them open and reading them immediately. He practically glowed in excitement at reading the invitational words, then paused very slowly at the envelope's address. "... Wait, only Charizard and Pikachu were invited?" His words were coated in a bit of sadness.

Serena's smile dropped. "Yeah, sorry… I know that you were in it last time, but they got rid of multi-person Smashers."

"O-Oh…" His posture slumped. "Squirtle and Ivysaur are gonna be disappointed."

"But hey, it's ok!" Serena patted his shoulder. "You can still go! You just won't be a fighter. That's what I'm doing!" Her hand cupped around a pokeball while she glanced at him, concerned brows propped in sympathy. "My Greninja was invited, so I'm acting as his escort. He'll be fighting by himself, but I'll be there to cheer him on."

Red pondered the thought for a moment. "... Yeah, it's alright, I didn't really fight in the tournament last time, anyway. I kinda just … stood on the sidelines to give orders." He turned towards Lucario, whom he had almost forgotten was there in the first place due to his quiet nature. "Did you get invited, too?"

The Pokemon held up a torn envelope in response, the curl after the 'o' in Lucario in tatters. "I was the first of you all to receive one," he stated, the telepathy almost throwing Red off guard. Strangely, Charizard found himself understanding his words nonetheless - it was always Lucario's special ability along with the ways of aura. "I was also told specifically to greet the new Pokemon Smasher and his trainer. I had thought that it was a good idea to bring them over here so that we may all travel to the tournament together."

"Right!" Serena smiled warmly at Red. "Don't worry about not being in the tournament, Red. You and I can be the best cheerleaders in the whole complex! I'll even help you look the part if you need to." The last sentence was presented with a playful wink. Charizard snickered at the idea of Red holding pom-poms to cheer on his Pokemon,

He laughed nervously in response, not as entertained by the same idea. "Nah, it's ok, I'm good on the whole 'looking the part' thing." He waved off the idea. He finally turned to grin at his Pokemon. "Hey guys, are you excited? You're gonna do the tournament again!"

Pikachu was certainly enthusiastic, since he was a Smasher even before Red owned him. Charizard, however, had only become a Smasher in the recent tournament, where the festivities were interrupted by the Subspace invasion. Yes, afterwards it was fun, Charizard noted, and he and Red had bonded tremendously, but he felt an aching hunch deep inside that something was going to happen again. He wasn't sure what, or even how to describe the feeling, but it certainly unsettled him. A displeased snort came from the dragon Pokemon as he reminisced.

Red was suddenly next to the Pokemon, slapping his back. "What's up, buddy?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Aren't you excited?" His eyes held the same concern, Charizard noted, and it was something he wouldn't like on his face at the moment. Charizard merely tackled the boy to the ground in response. He was worried, but Red needed to be happy. He was going to be happy for his trainer.

Lucario caught the brief unsettled look on Charizard, and merely grunted at the interaction.

* * *

A goddess sat in her palace, an envelope with a broken seal placed in her hand. She held a towering staff that shimmered in the harsh sunlight, alongside with her cascading emerald hair and golden armor. She smiled as she stood in the court patio as she overlooked the various centurions and angels that fluttered by. It baffled her how she had created such small, idiotic creatures, but she loved them, nonetheless. She wouldn't tell them the negative thoughts of hers, anyway. She was going to miss them for certain, but once again, she would keep her thoughts to herself. Where she was going was of no public concern, unfortunately. She just hoped that there wouldn't be search parties or adorably pathetic centurions panicking over her absence.

Several clacks resonated throughout the marble floor as a boy with magnificent white wings hurried to the goddess's side. He respectfully knelt on one knee, but less as respectfully kept his head raised. "Lady Palutena!" he cried, a wide grin plastered on his face. He waved a paper the flapped in the air in front of her. "Lady Palutena, look! I got invited back! I got invited back!"

"Pit?" the goddess asked as she turned to face the excitable angel, nodding as she allowed him to rise on his two feet. "Deep breaths, Pit," she mused nonchalantly "and slow down, would you? What in heaven's name are you talking about?"

"The tournament!" Pit begun to hop up and down in pure enthusiasm, fists closed tightly to his chest. "The Smash Bros. tournament! They invited me back! I can't believe they actually invited me back! Lady Palutennnaaaa!"

Palutena laughed as his embarrassing motions, waving at Pit for him to stop without much demand. "Have more confidence in yourself. You did help save the universe from that Tabuu character, and you worked alongside that one person with the overalls and the red cap that they love. What was his name again…?" She took a moment to think.

"Mario? Yeah, he was a pretty cool guy," Pit responded, shrugging at the goddess.

"It's only natural that they invite you back, then, since you're friends with their mascot. We have been gaining some popularity, too. What, with the whole new ga-"

Pit hushed the goddess before she could say another word. Nervously, he glanced left and right with gritted teeth, and spoke in a lower voice, "woah there, you don't wanna break down the you-know-what here and piss off you-know-who, right?"

She merely smiled and lowered her own tones into a whisper. "Right, sorry."

"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Pit screamed again, his bubbly hyperactivity returning ten-fold. It made Palutena nearly chuckle yet again. "It was so fun last time! Well, save for the whole Subspace thing and everyone almost dying and the universe almost being destroyed. But it was still really fun! Constant battling, eating tons of food, kicking people's butt, eating tons of food, playing those weird video game things a lot, hanging out with everyone, eating tons of food-"

"Pit-" Palutena sighed sternly.

"Gosh, I wish I could show you everything there, Lady Palutena. The mansion is really beautiful! Not as pretty as here, mind you - you're a great decorator, Lady Palutena - but you would really like it there! You'd love the people, too. I'm sure you and Zelda, or maybe Peach, would hit it off super well and talk about dumb stuff like nail polish or things that I don't even know about-"

"Well, I can see All anyway, but that's not the point-" She tried again, bringing her hand closer to her.

"And you would LOVE the fighting! It feels so good to beat up all these villains from other worlds, or even beat up their heroes and other cool dudes that you know well but can beat up anyway!" He was literally jumping up and down at this point, as if trying to fly. Raising his fists in the air, he whooped and shut his eyes in excitement. "I can't wait!"

"Pit…" Her tones were deadpanned in a large amount of annoyance.

"Gosh, talking about it has got me even more excited! I really wish you could come down there and be part of it all."

"Pit…" She tried again, impatiently tapping her foot to deaf ears.

"It's such a shame that you're so busy here being a goddess and all. I mean you would really like it there. Too bad I was the only one invited-"

Palutena cleared her throat rather loudly and tapped the open envelope she was holding on her cheek nonchalantly. She skillfully brandished the name of 'Palutena' in Pit's direction, while making a huge whistle noise as she took sudden interest in the ceiling. "Hm, yes, it's such a shame that I wasn't invited in the first place," she asserted, her tone becoming more sarcastic.

With a gaping mouth, Pit was caught mid sentence staring at the envelope the goddess held, the red wax seal grabbing his attention wholly. He practically froze in mid-jump, but then returned on to his feet when he squinted his eyes to see the letter more. "I-Is that…?"

"Yup." Palutena responded casually, closing up the letter in one hand.

"Did you-"

"Yup."

"Are you really-?"

"'Yup' is such an ugly word, are you really going to make me say it again?"

"YOU GOT INVITED TO THE TOURNAMENT!" All activity that buzzed below the court patio screeched to a halt as the various centurions and angels stopped their tasks to look up at the source of the obnoxious noise. Palutena was quick to tap the hyperactive angel on the head with her staff to shut him up.

"SHH SHH! Keep it down," she whispered harshly, patting the side of her index finger to her lips. "I haven't told anyone else yet. You know how they are, freaking out every time I leave, even if it's for a two minute errand."

Pit yelped and rubbed his new head wound. "Sorry," he whimpered. "I'm just- that is so awesome that you're coming!"

"Aww, was the little angel gonna be wonly without his goddess there with him?" She teased, tapping her clean nails against her bottom lip while stifling a chuckle. For a second, she could've sworn she sounded more like Viridi.

A sudden hue of red plastered itself on his cheeks. Sweat trickled down his temple when his large eyes widened like dinner plates. "N-No! But... I-I'm really glad you're coming with me, s'all…"

Palutena came close to him, patting his head with an endeared smile. "Aw, what a sweet angel! Maybe I'll feel only a little bad when I beat you over and over again in one of these battles!" She cooed, smiling mischievously at the last bit of her words.

"H-Hey, that's not-"

"Well, you do need to prove all your bragging about how you 'beat everyone up,' or you'd be lying to a goddess. You'd better start training, the tournament's only in a few days…" She turned back around, forest locks replacing her front view.

Pit jumped at the sudden dark tone of his lady. "I-I'll be back later, I got to go find a punching bag!" With a flurry of his wings, he ran off, a trail of feathers and worried noises falling behind him. Palutena smiled and waved him off when he heard his footsteps diminuendo, but as soon as he left the courtyard, her expression turned grim. She raised her staff in the air to summon a black envelope, not unlike the invitation, in a small burst of light. It floated down to her palm and she opened it again, studying the faint cursive with an unamused glance.

"Now," she muttered, her brows furrowed, "what are we going to do with you?"

* * *

A man clad in green, normally an idle layabout, was certainly not sitting around in his home. He was, in fact, dashing with the utmost vigor through the halls of a grand stone castle, past baffled guards and servants alike. Normally, one such man of crazed actions would be halted and be escorted out, but he was lucky that the guards knew him so well. He had visited these halls so many times, the dwellers of the castles were quick to call it his second house. In truth, he didn't care for the sheer dullness of the environment. He'd much rather prefer living in his treehouse, herding goats and being with nature like his old life was like. What made him come so often was certainly not the aesthetic of the castle, though. Rather, it was a certain someone that called this place her home that kept making him come back and show her his daily wonders.

And by the Goddesses, he was going to show her this very important thing before anyone else.

The green man hurried past tall curtain after tall curtain until he finally spotted the one that indicated the queen's private study. Not even bothering to knock or check if she was in there - which he knew she was, she was always reading at this point in the afternoon - he slammed open the door, seriousness written across his face.

"ZELDAAAAA!" he cried as he burst into the study. He caught the sight of the queen, clad in purple and white, gazing out the window only moments ago. She really was beautiful as he always found himself imagining her, he had noted amidst his excitement, with her long brown hair that reminded him of elaborate wood rings and petite features that seemed to glow in the golden light of the outdoors. While initially shocked, Zelda's expression softened at the sight of the loud one before her.

"Link?" She beamed as she turned towards him with an opened envelope in her hand. She held the parchment almost triumphantly between her gloved fingers. "Did you receive an invitation as well?"

Link flashed a toothy grin as he ran towards her and enveloped her in the tightest of hugs. "It's back! We're going back!" he proclaimed joyously, lifting her and twirling her around as she laughed like chimed bells. After a moment of bliss, he let her down, joining in her laughter. It was only after a few moments where he had realized where they have placed each other's hand - his on her waist, hers on his shoulders. They split apart and brushed their hands against each other, a blush creeping on each other's faces.

"I-I'm really glad," Link had finally said, breaking the awkward silence that ensued. "It's been a few years since they hosted one, right?"

Zelda nodded, hesitating to make eye contact for a moment before smiling warmly. "It will be incredibly pleasant to see all of our old friends again. I do miss their company." she whispered softly.

He laughed at sudden memories. "Man, I still need to fight Marth. He owes me a rematch, remember?" With only a subtle reaction from the queen, Link's mood suddenly turned worrisome. "Hey, are you alright? I know I'm a bit … excited about everything but…"

Zelda faltered for a moment. In truth, a worrisome dream occurred in her slumber the night before, long before she had even discovered the information regarding the tournament. Normally, a dream like this wouldn't startle her as much, but the similarities it had to the dream she had before Zant's invasion of Hyrule was very unsettling to the queen. The subject matter of this particular vision was… no, she wasn't going to think about it. Her recurring thirst of escape and the concerned face of Link had her tuck away her worries. If it was only a dream, and just that, then there was nothing she should be torturing herself over.

"I am perfectly alright," she affirmed, a sunny smile returning to her face. "In fact, I am exceedingly more than thrilled. Link, will you do me the honor of staying here for the next few days, so that we may travel together? We can assist each other in packing." Her gray eyes twinkled in obvious excitement as she casted her arm toward him.

He seemed to radiate now, any previous concern washing away. He grabbed her hand, smiling with his lax brows raised. "Of course! Wouldn't want to forget anything important. You are good at reminding me what to bring, after all." He grabbed both of her hands now. "Zelda," his tone darkened, now taking immediate seriousness, "if you're worried about something, please don't be, the tournament's gonna be awesome, I promise you."

She smiled once again. She'll be happy for Link, if anything else. "I shall hold you up on that quote there, or you shall be deemed a liar." She squeezed his hands, finding herself looking at how tightly knit they were.

"Liar liar Din's fire?" He asked, and they both burst into laughter.

* * *

In her mind's vision, a woman in red viewed two elves exchanging conversation. The image morphed to a bounty hunter in a futuristic ship, sailing the cosmos, an envelope placed gently by her side. A mother stood in her observatory, star-like children playing with a yellowed envelope. Two animals that stood like humans shared a handshake as they exchanged envelopes. A muscular man with navy hair stood over the horizon, viewing an envelope and brandishing a golden sword as he gazed into the sunset. A boy donning a red cap hugged a girl and two boys goodbye before dashing away, waving an envelope into the air. A boxer quickly jabbed a punching bag in training, an envelope resting on a nearby stool. A fitness instructor stretches her arms in a contortionist manner as a class mimics her, an envelope resting by a water bottle and towel, Two plumbers and a princess garbed in the shade of blossoms feast together with cake and tea, rejoicing over several opened envelopes.

Her eyes opened, red as the blood that ran through mortal bodies, and she withdrew herself from her window. Sauntering towards her desk as she saw more images - a turtle-dragon laughing evilly with his son and a few other similar children, a cartoonish figure hurriedly preparing pasta in excitement, a pink star-rider who bounced happily on his mode of transportation - she only smiled further as again and again, images of different creatures of odd shapes and sizes passed through the woman's vision, all holding the very envelope she willed them to have.

"Only a few more to go…" she mused, as the picture of a young man in blue studied a peculiar envelope on his desk.

* * *

Chrom huffed some more as he stared at the strange writing of the mysterious envelope. Most words to describe his current thoughts had left him as he was only experiencing utter confusion.

A pair of arms seemed to wrap themselves around his sides as he was studying the letter, silver hair dripping onto his shoulders, some of its strands tickling his cheeks. "I could hear you huffing and puffing from the other room, dear," a voice chimed in, seeping with mockery. "Would you like me to decipher whatever you're confused about?"

"Robin, I'm not really confused about anything," Chrom quickly lied before smiling and turning his head to kiss his queen on the lips. She smiled, and opened her brown eyes accusingly, to which Chrom sighed in quick defeat.

"This letter baffles me, however." He admitted. When she had opened her hand, he handed her the envelope.

Robin stood back up straight, adjusting her dress and reading the letter slowly. "... 'Smash Brothers tournament?' What on earth is that?"

"My exact thoughts." Chrom stood from his chair and stretched his arm, the Brand of the Exalt ripping on his arm as his muscles moved. "It's apparently a recreational tournament that invites the best fighters 'from across the universe' to join in a friendly brawl." He made his way over to Robin and looked over the letter again. "Do you think it's something to do with the Outrealms again? Must I berate Old Hubba again?" He groaned at the thought. "I really do hate that old man."

"Perhaps…" she said absentmindedly, most of her focus on the text. "In truth-" she handed him the envelope again, "- I think it's purely what it says it is: recreational. It's says it only happens for a few months, so you wouldn't be gone long…"

"Are you already planning for me to leave?" Chrom gasped, mockingly holding a hand on his chest. "So hasty to push aside your husband, Robin, I'm so offended."

"Well I certainly think that it would be beneficial." Robin frowned, clearly unwilling to play along. "You have been very stressed lately, Chrom. Even Frederick and Lissa have noticed it."

Chrom sighed as he placed the invitation back onto the desk, daring not to deny her accusations. "I guess it comes with being Exalt," he noted to himself. "It's been a few years, and yet I still cannot get used to it, especially with all the rebuilding of the villages and helping Valm get back in order."

"Which is why I think you should go." She made her way to his side and rested a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Everyone needs a break once in a while, Chrom, even the Exalt. While it's not resting, having you fight other opponents is the best kind of therapy for you." She playfully poked his side, causing him to yelp and jump. She laughed all the more. "And if I hear anything about the country needing its Exalt, I'll blast you with a Bologanone spell. The Queen can certainly handle the state of affairs."

"Especially since the Queen is a master tactician and is the smartest person I know." Chrom wrapped an arm around her shoulders and planted another kiss on her cheek, allowing it to linger for just awhile. Robin could smell his scent - how he smelled like the fields on the outer edges of Ylisse, from the tall grass to the wildflowers that would sway in any small breeze that would pass. "Would you even miss me, though, like I would miss you and the children?" He whispered softly.

Robin's only response was another slow, gentle kiss. "Of course," she responded quietly, smiling into his skin. "As much as I tease you, you know I would miss you."

"I'll have to think about it then," Chrom smirked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, I really do miss those pigtails of yours. You should start wearing those again."

Robin snorted at the comment. When she was indicted as Queen to the Exalt, she began wearing her hair down and pinned back into a set of regally-tended waves, along with a noble dress unbefitting of her, she thought, in order to appear more professional. The stiff corset around her underbust and the multiple petticoats only made her think of Lissa's attire, and how she seemed to move just fine amidst her skirts. While she did yearn to wear her old, ragged tactician coat again, she knew that her days of fighting were over. She found it best to hide it away in a trunk somewhere in the castle, likely never to be seen again. "I'll check back on you later," she finally stated, giving a quick parting kiss before making her way to the door. "Don't stay in here too long, you'll end up like Morgan is, always hidden in a study."

"Like son, like mother." Chrom responded casually, chuckling to himself when she finally made her leave. His eyes only turned to read the invitation more thoroughly this time, smiling at the exchange he had with his wife.

* * *

"_Let the symphony of revenge begin."_

* * *

_**Author's note: SORRY FOR ALL THE PAGE BREAKS AND JUMPING, THEY'RE WILL BE LESS IN THE FUTURE.**  
_

_**Hello, I'm sorutan, your wonderful host for this bumpy journey! Like a lot of people, I was fairly irate at the lack of a story mode in the new Smash Bros, despite still being an awesome game nonetheless. Subspace Emissary used brilliant storytelling without anyone uttering a word, and was truthfully the thing that made Brawl so enjoyable. Being the person I am, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to write my own story mode, because these new characters deserve to be told in a new story. However, also being the passionate psychology student that I am, I figured it was also a good opportunity to tell this story in my own way. **_

_**Since I thirsted for more exploration in the family dynamic between Robin, Chrom, Lucina, and Morgan in Fire Emblem Awakening, this fic will seriously dive into that, including Lucina and Robin's relationship, so fair warning if you're not into that. Also, Female Robin is the protagonist because Female Robin is FAR more important than Male Robin. Trust me, I'm a professional.**_

_**Also, I left a few Sound Horizon references in here. Kudos to whoever can spot them!**_

_**With that being said, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and enjoy the rest of the story!**_


	2. Allegro - Robin

_**AN: Before I forget to say (which I really should have in the first chapter), there are MASSIVE spoilers for most of the games featured in Smash Bros, including the obvious Fire Emblem Awakening, Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, and Xenoblade Chronicles. I'm also going to assume that you have already been informed of these endings. You've been warned!**_

* * *

After leaving Chrom in his study, Robin found herself wandering the hallowed halls of Castle Ylisstol, finding nothing of interest to herself. Having already finished her current novel, she was waiting for the next in the trilogy she invested time to, which would take a few days at best. Chrom had taken care of all the tactician meetings of the day, and she had already cleared all the books in the library. Perhaps she could check up on the pegasi and chat with Sumia and Cordelia, but they would probably be too busy training the new recruits to the Pegasus Knight squad. Lissa and Frederick were Gods-Knew-Where doing something that was beyond Robin's current knowledge. Wherever they were, they were likely together. The princess and the knight often spent time alone, time that they never could've had before. That left...

She remembered mentioning Morgan in her last conversation. Memories of the younger tactician flooded her mind at an instant, pulling her out of her thoughts. Slowly, the bored strategist was replaced with a concerned mother for her parallel child. Of course, she reprimanded herself. Morgan has been working so hard studying, I could take him out if he wanted. She hurried herself down the numerous halls to the castle library, where Robin usually found her son dwelling and studying. She finally found the large mahogany doors of the library, and with a grunt she shoved the heavy doors open.

Sure enough, Morgan was there, sitting in one of the work desks surrounded by piles upon piles of books and text. A single volume was open as he scribbled down random notes onto parchment with a feather quill. At the sound of the doors creaking open, his head peeked up from behind the wall of books and grinned when he saw the guest. "Mother!" he exclaimed, rising from his work to practically barrel into her in excitement. "Your timing's impeccable, I must show you what I found in this archive. You'll find it very interesting, it was this really weird chronicle about-" And like he usually did, he rambled in various tones and gestures - and well, occasional sound effects. Robin found herself chuckling lightly at her son's excitement. When the Shepherds had first found him on their journey, he was short and rather baby-faced, looking like a much younger version of his father with his messy navy hair, and had lost his memory, much like his mother. The resemblance struck Robin all too hard, the recruit was necessary for his sake, if not her own. Now, as a few years have passed, Morgan had greatly matured, growing significantly taller and losing the baby fat in his cheeks. Dark circles were sagging under his eyes, and while they weren't prominent, it still left him with the look of an insomniac. Like Robin, he had stored away his tactician coat in times of peace and donned a mage's uniform, as he was studying to become apart of the High Magistrate of Ylisse, mainly in Anima Magic. He was, in fact, studying beside Ricken under Miriel. It was as if the two had a silent agreement that acting childish was beyond them and this point - they were burdened with war, and have a future generation to care for.

Nonetheless, it never stopped the mages-to-be to have their moments of livelihood.

Morgan took Robin's hand, snapping her out of yet another thought process, and lead her to the volume on his workspace. "I know that I'm supposed to be studying more of the magic tomes, but I got a bit distracted with other stuff in the library. Look," a gloved finger excitedly tapped an excerpt of the tome, "this edition has some cryptic information on the Outrealms, but look what it says!" Shifting to a more serious tone, he traced the words with his finger while he spoke: 'While dozens of parallel worlds have been confirmed to exist through the Outrealm Gate, it has been hypothesized that there are other worlds existing outside of our own, some with far more advancement in experiments and technology.'" Beaming, he gave an endearing glance to Robin's yes. "What do you think these kinds of worlds have?"

"Hmm…" Robin pondered the thought, bringing a finger to her chin. She tilted her head one way, and then the other, leaving an excited Morgan practically brimming with excitement. Finally, she released her finger to logically point in the air. "Maybe something that could get babies to sleep faster!" She responded with a short laugh, shrugging with tossed hands.

Morgan laughed rancorously in response, almost ready to slap a knee. His closed eyes admist his laughter made Robin's grin grow wider. "Boy, do we need it!" He exclaimed, wiping faux tears from the edges of his eyes. "Baby me has such a hard time staying asleep, and little Luci is super hyper all the time. You must have Father let her learn swordplay, she won't stop bothering me about it!"

"You know how he is, Morgan. It's better for her to learn at an older age." She hugged her son yet again, this time holding it longer than she usually did. She closed her eyes and leaned her cheek into his back, intaking the moment all she could. "And we do appreciate taking the hit with them when you babysit them. It makes our lives much easier." She absentmindedly played with the tips of his hair almost wistfully, almost as if she'd never get the opportunity to do so ever again. Morgan played it naturally - he shifted once in awhile, but played with Robin's hair as well.

"Yeah, except not mine!" He squirmed in her grip, patting her back some. "Man, Luci really is a wild child. I don't remember Lucina ever being this-" he cut himself off before he could say anything else, but Robin had already been affected by his words. She slowly lowered her arms almost abruptbly, intently staring into the floor with misty eyes resisting a tear.

Morgan felt a pang of guilt, reaching for another hug in urgency. "S-Sorry, Mother, I didn't really…"

"No, it's alright. Just a mistake." She gripped his hand to block his touch, but immediately softened her grip to gently rub her thumb against the back of his hand. "Don't worry about it. There are other things to focus on."

"Have… have you heard back from the search party? Did they find anything?" He closed his fingers around hers and rolled his lips, clearly regretting to open a dangerous topic.

Robin sighed. "Nothing. Again. It's been years and there still is nothing that we can find. I just…" She found herself growing smaller, talking about this again. The vulnerability between mother and son felt surreal to her, but she tried her best not to mind it much. This is normal, Robin reminded herself, This should be normal. "I know that she doesn't want to be found, and she left for a good reason, whatever that may be, but…" Lucina had left - whether to travel the world like her cousin had, or if Naga was kind and cruel enough to bring her to the brighter future she wished for, no one knew. It disheartened the royal family entirely, as she had never managed to say goodbye, but many rumors had spurred of a forseer and an occasional mercenary, clad in royal garb, who was kind and true to her work. As the days passed, the rumors grew less and less, almost as if Lucina had blended to the timeline entirely.

Or, Robin sighed, as if she had returned.

"Mother." Now it was his turn to give a hug, he pushed past her grip to embrace her around the hip. Despite their constant affection with one another, this surprised Robin nonetheless. Her hand slid to rub his back. "I know we'll find her. We just have to work as hard as she would have."

Robin patted his hands after a moment, blinking back even more persisten tears that were ready to be free.. "I'm sorry, I distracted you from your work. I really should get going." She weaseled her way out of his embrace before stroking his head and leaving him in the library, alone with his own thoughts. She made careful note to close the doors and not look at his concerned face, but it didn't matter. She took a few breaths, rose her chin to a noble height, and continued her journey down the halls.

She wasn't going to think about Lucina anymore. It really hurt too much.

* * *

A woman in scarlet brought her staff into the air, morphing it into a black conductor's baton. She tapped it against an invisible podium, surprisingly making a few audible taps. With a breath as she conducted the first two counts, she brought her hands forward. Normally, a full orchestra would play their tuning note, but instead, purple masses of darkness swirled and stirred around her feet until they formed into strange green creatures with blood red eyes, the masses of purple pouring out from behind them. They dripped as if drenched with the mauve liquid, standing in perfect attention to their summoner. Pleased with her handiwork, she brought her hands in a circular motion to stop the "music", and took a few steps downward to meet eye-to-eye with one of the creatures she had summoned

"Are you ready, my pretties?" she mused as she stroked a particular creature's face with an endeared glance, as if an artist finished their masterpiece of the century. A chorus of unearthly noises from the crowd rang into the air in response, and it only had her smile broaden.

"Good good. It's great that you respond to your new master so well, or there would be dire consequences…" She stepped back, and raised the black baton into the air. "As the prelude ends, the allegro section of this movement shall begin. Now…"

With a flick of her baton, the creatures reverted back into a state of purple mass and sped through the open window into the moonlight, as if the wind yanked them off the floor and dragged away at the speed of light. Her baton glowed, forming into an orb with a small view of a castle, to which she brought close to her face, illuminating her features. As purple flecks emerged from the skies to rain like a snowglobe, her satisfied eyes were over the chaos.

"Begin the movement. It's time to wreck havoc unto these so-called heroes."

* * *

The earth trembled in a catastrophic scale, knocking Robin off her feet and to the floor.

"Umph!" With a cry, the queen fell onto the floor, entangled in the fabrics of her outfit. The entire castle rumbled to an extent where the pillars and marbled floors were beginning to crack. Thankfully, before anything gave in, the earthquake ceased as quickly as it appeared, leaving the castle dusty and almost in ruins.

"Mother!" As she was still not far from the library, Robin's son ran into the hall and assisted his mother to her feet. Panting, Morgan dusted her off, but the fabrics seemed permanently dirtied. "Are you alright!? Did you feel that earthquake? It was massive! Most of the books in the library fell over, and I almost got buried!"

"Morgan! I'm so glad you're alright." She dusted herself off as well, attempting to rid of the more stubborn dirt patches. Her persistence was also of no use. "Quickly, we must-" Before she could continue, a chorus of bells rang throughout the castle, causing the two of them to wince out their volume. "... The warning bells? Why would they be going off…?"

"Mother… look." Morgan pointed down the hall, where a squadron of guards were hurrying towards them, calling after Robin. When they had arrived to their position, one guard, presumably the squadron's captain, spoke up, out of breath with the most tired of salutes.

"Your Grace, we must get you and the rest of the royal family to a safe location! It's no longer safe in the castle and we've been ordered to escort you out of the castle by Sir Frederick." he asserted, urgency and concerned respect in his every word. His words were rather hard to follow, making Robin trying to tame her stress by pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Please, slow down," Robin cautioned, attempting to stay calm and reasonable. Removing her arm, she straightened her posture yet again. "What is happening?" She queried, offering a hand to the air. "Did the earthquake cause a fire or something?"

"Worse…" The captain looked away in shame. "It was so sudden, these… these things appeared out of thin air when the earthquake occurred. They're attacking Ylisstol as we speak."

Morgan gasped in surprise, distress written across his eyes. "Are they Risen? Have they returned?" He demanded, almost sounding too sharp for himself.

"I don't know what they are, but they're certainly not them. Regardless, I must lead you both out."

Robin's postured stiffened further as her old commanding presence returned. Eyes narrowed, the mother bear stared hard at the soldier in front of her. "Has someone already escorted the children out?" She found her hands balling into fists - a personal form a stress relief, though intimidating to some.

The soldier was also included in that population, seeing how he stepped back out of utter fear. "T-They're on their way to an underground bunker right now, Your Grace. Sir Frederick is leading that squadron himself."

"Then your first and only priority is the safety of Ylisstol's citizens." Robin ordered, crossing her arms despite the official decree. "Morgan and I are both capable of defending ourselves from any attackers, unlike the villagers in the city. It is your responsibility to defend their lives from these invaders, do you understand?" She tilted her head, expectant of an answer.

"Y-Your Grace-"

"Do you understand?" Even Morgan felt a chill down his spine from the tone of her voice. Robin had the tendency to be very intimidating on the rare occasion that she asserted her authority. He wondered what the guards were feeling at that moment.

The captain hesitated, sweat obviously dripping from his brow, before he and the other guards bowed in forgiveness. "Of course, Your Grace." Without another word, the squadron turned on their heel and ran as fast as they could out of there.

Robin turned to Morgan, her face still hardened with force. "Morgan, I need you to get some magic tomes. I'm going outside and seeing what in heavens is happening right now. Meet me outside when you've grabbed enough equipment." She raised a hand to his cheek, softening her features. "Please stay safe, and help anyone that needs it on the way."

Morgan obviously didn't want to leave her alone to fend for herself, but he wouldn't dare disagree with her at this moment. With a nod, he ran back into the library. Robin lifted her skirt and pulled the small dagger that was strapped to her ankle. She put it there just in case she was ever in need of it, and she was glad that her suspicions were correct. She dashed down the hall, lifting the skirt of her dress and being careful not to trip on the heels that she was wearing.

"Stupid heels…. stupid dress!" She really hated this outfit. For a moment, she stopped to kick off her shoes and continued to make her way through the castle barefoot. As the castle was overwhelmingly large, it took her more than twenty minutes of passing by numerous guards and squadrons preparing for battle before she made it to the entrance hall, where the amount of soldiers had multiplied greatly as they circulated in and out of the castle and down the hill that led to the capital. A young woman with messy blonde pigtails and a royal set of mint green robes, the same shade that her late sister wore, directed several soldiers and clerics out of the establishment, using her staff as an indicator of direction. When Robin saw the back of her circular crown, she gasped in relief of finding her sister-inlaw.

"Lissa!" Robin hurried towards her sister, who almost jumped at the sight of the tactician. Lissa ran towards her and embraced her quickly, whimpering into Robin's dress.

"Robin! I'm so glad you're okay!" she cried, overwhelmed with relief. "I was in the healing hall training new recruits, then there was this sudden earthquake, and then I got word from Frederick that something began attacking Ylisstol and… and..." She then proceeded to whack the other woman with her staff on the arm. Looking up at her with gray-green eyes. "And what were you thinking? These soldiers come up to me saying that the Queen to the Exalt told them that she could fend for herself and ordered them to contribute to the front lines while she was off on her own! That's stupid, even for you, Robin!"

"S-Sorry for worrying you," Robin muttered, rubbing her sore arm as Lissa detached herself. "Lissa, what is even happening here? A guard had said-"

"Some things began attacking the capitol? That's all I've heard from everyone else. Even the clerics I sent out don't know what's going on. But… a lot of things are on fire down there, and a lot of people have already died… Robin, it's horrible!"

Robin looked out the open entrance, where she could see a faint glow of red and pillars of smoke rising from the hidden capital city. She recalled Morgan, and Lissa, but there was a slight lump in her throat when she spoke further. "Where's Chrom?" She inquired quietly.

Lissa faltered in speech, finding interest into the floor while she wringed her hands on her staff. "... We don't know." She whispered, shaking her head.

"What?"

"No one could find him yet! It's a bad thing to wish for, but I'm hoping that he's out there battling whatever is attacking right now. Frederick is searching the castle after he escorts little Owain and the other children to a safe place, but…" Lissa bit her bottom lip out of slight embarrassment and fear. "I haven't seen him, and there's been no report."

"I have to go find him." Robin announced while turning on her heel, her feet smacking along the ground while she began to make her way out of the entrance hall. A tug at her skirt had her stop and nearly stumble, and Robin turned her head around to see a pouty Lissa between the silver strands in her eyes.

"Where in Naga's name do you think you're going!?" Lissa demanded, stamping her foot childishly. Her gray gaze and peridot robes almost reminded Robin of a stern Emmeryn. The sage shook her head. "You don't have any weapons besides that dumb dagger," She gestured to the blade in Robin's hand, "and you don't have any shoes, girl! You're not going out there!"

"Lissa-" Robin could tell that Lissa was already in a haughty mood, so she knew that there was no use arguing against the princess, but Robin was well prepared. When the tactician queen opened her mouth to protest, Lissa cut her off.

"Not without me, at least. And some gods-damned proper equipment." Lissa waved at a soldier who was carting various weapons to the other soldiers and clerics. "Hey! Get this woman a proper sword and some boots!" She ordered, and the guard immediately saluted and began to dig around for the said weapons. With a mischievous grin, Lissa continued, "Oh, and bring me my axe, it's been ages since I flexed my war cleric muscles!"

Before long, Robin had a warm pair of boots and a brand new silver sword, which she used to trim of most of the fabric on her skirt to bring it to her knees. While the pale fabrics fell along the floor, Morgan entered the hall not long after she did, toting two sacks filled to the brim with different tomes. She gave one of them to his mother, to which she strapped to her back with the leftover fabrics, pulling out an Arcthunder in mint condition.

"Lissa, Morgan," she called when she was finish preparing her weapons, "The first thing we do is to fend off the enemy and make sure that the citizens of Ylisstol are evacuated to this castle. Any capable fighters require a weapon - be sure to next priority is finding Chrom. Are you all set?"

"Ready when you are," Lissa cheered, brandishing her axe gleefully. Morgan grunted and nodded in reply.

"Good. Let's go." The group and a number of other soldiers, acting as their escorts, left the castle and made their way down the hill and into the capital. As they made their way farther down the path to the city, more smoke and flames obstructed their line of sight, and a sinking feeling in Robin's gut grew worse upon descension.

After a few minutes, they had finally made their way to the central hub, where everything was in complete chaos. Multiple buildings were on fire, while others were completely destroyed, crumbled like sand from the earthquake. Massive fissures littered the roads, where a few carts and people - to which Robin felt a hint of bile in the back of her throat - had fallen inside. She looked up at the sky and saw forms of pegasi and their riders, thinking back to Sumia and Cordelia. Looking back at the scene before her, she saw men, women, and children alike were running and screaming for their lives as soldiers fought back-

The captain was entirely correct, Robin noted amidst her horror. Creatures that were almost indescribable ran rampant in the streets, slowly attacking soldiers and citizens as they cowered for their lives. The creatures themselves were only a tinge smaller than the average adult, but were wide, carrying a lot of weight. Their black skin rippled in the light of the flames, and their green "armor" reflected off of the blood on the streets. A fountain of purple matter spewed from their backsides, pouring onto the roads. Upon their green hats was a small, red wire, and they dawned brown boots and gloves. Red eyes peeked behind their helmets, almost in a childish manner.

The creatures themselves weren't frightening, as they rather looked like drawings from a children's novel, but their actions were what terrified Robin the most. Some held strange contraptions while some legitimately breathed fire. They remained completely emotionless as they stomped through the streets, attacking innocent people, all the blood that flew, the carnage-

She couldn't look. It was too much, the stench was too fowl.

A child screamed, and both Robin and Morgan reacted, bringing everyone out of their shock. The duo ran towards the child, who was cornered by two of the creatures. With a cry, she had summoned a bolt of Arcthunder that crashed into the creatures, while he swooped in to grab the child. The creatures dissipated into purple specks that dissolved in the wind.

"Are you alright?" Morgan asked the little one in his arms. She only began to sob into his chest.

Robin quickly turned to the other soldiers. "Get this child and everyone else you find out of here and into the castle!" she ordered. "We'll take care of these monsters. Lissa!"

"Right!" The princess spotted another citizen, a woman carrying a basket of bread, running away in terror from a group of creatures. She quickly followed suit, swinging her axe at the invaders with newfound justice. Morgan handed the child to a soldier before running off with her, throwing fire spells after the adversaries with precise haste. Robin ran in another direction, where a horde of creatures gathered, playing and jumping in the puddles of blood like children.

"Arcthunder!" she screamed again, extending her hand and summoning another powerful bolt of lightning onto the enemies. Once again, some dissolved into purple dust, but others had dodged the onslaught and dashed towards the tactician, their blank red eyes glowing. Robin quickly changed weapons with a practiced sleight of hand and swung her sword, cutting down a few enemies, while more of them dodged the attack again. She threw out another thunderbolt, but they had all dodged this time. Another swing of her sword, another dodge. They were growing smarter, as if they observing her brief actions and learning from them.

The group's numbers grew as Robin pulled out another tome from her makeshift sack. It was red, ancient glyphs across its cover, but she knew the spell all the same. "Arcfire!" she called as she threw the newly formed ball of pyre onto the flourishing group. While it did clear out some, the ones that perished had been replaced tenfold. For every creature that dissolved into the strange purple masses, two more took their place. Soon enough, she found herself surrounded almost completely, shooting spell after spell and cutting through creatures with her sword in a tactical dual-wield, but as the battle progressed, she felt herself becoming more and more overwhelmed.

"I can't… lose here," she panted in between swings denying all logic to find another way to destroy the monsters. "I have to find Chrom… I have to find Chrom…." The red tome in her hands burned away in a flash of fire, and she drew yet another green tome. "Elwind!" The green wisps of wind sent her flying into the air above the horde of enemies, where she used her other Arcthunder tome to clear an area that she could land in. By fate's cruel design, she didn't land right and fell onto her side, leaving an opening for the creatures to attack. She swatted most of them away with her sword, but one had managed to cut into her arm. She cried in pain at the sudden sting, reminding herself that she hasn't been to war in months.

Morgan had managed to hear his mother's cry as he was finishing off the last of a group. His head snapped towards her sound as he saw the massive wave of creatures overwhelming her. "Mother!" he yelled for her as he dashed in her general direction. Lissa has called his name he assumed, but he couldn't recall. All that mattered was getting to her before something dire happened. He remembered Lucina describing how their father from her time had died, and he wasn't going to let another tragedy like that happen again.

Robin kept fighting, but she feared the inevitable. The creatures were easy to take down, but their numbers replenished and grew faster than she could react. They were marching before her, completely covering her view of any last bit of land. She closed her eyes as she heard the distant cry of Morgan, Lissa's wail shortly after, and reminded herself of how utterly useless she was at this point, making a snap decision out of pure feeling to save her husband -

She remembered Chrom's scent, and the memory made her eyes feel heavier as she was willing to accept her fate.

"BACKSLASH!"

A flash of blue light snapped Robin's eyes open. A good portion of the horde was thrown back into the air, clearing an area where a boy stood, not much older than Morgan, with sandy blond hair and tanned skin. His clothing was the oddest she had ever seen on anyone, with a strange wool shirt and a red vest with a sort of leather and metal plastered onto it. His shorts were embedded with colorful designs and belts that intertwined on his legs. He also held the bizarre sword imaginable, even stranger than his clothes, which was unfathomable at that point in time. It was a reflective metal the color of cherries with an energy pulsing through its system. A circular piece of glass rested at the hilt, which glowed with the same energy that was embedded into the sword and spat out a blade of pure spirit.

The boy turned towards Robin, his soft blue eyes shining in the light he brought, and flashed a simple smile while the purple bugs strained to find others - they were dying, slowly, as the boy assured that he cut the puddle of purple as well. "I'm glad that I came in right on time," he chuckled in between. His voice carried a foreign accent that emphasized his vowels - childish, suggesting the boy wasn't very old, but relieved all the same. "Sorry that I'm late. Now, lemme help you fend off these Primids. I need to hurry and find this bloke called Chrom."

* * *

_**EDIT: Now sorted through and edited by the Wonderful Beta Jin!**_

_**Author's Notes: EHE SURPRISE! Two chapters in one day! Which will never happen again!**_

_**I put in slight hints of foreshadowing in regards to the whereabouts and status of Lucina later on in the story. If you guys aren't prepared for some serious emotional beat ups and manipulation of your favorite characters and care not to (hopefully) cry, then this story really isn't the right place for you. Better jump boat before things get serious. If you ARE interested in watching your favorite characters break down emotionally and psychologically like I am, then stay aboard! We'll have a fun trip!**_

_**Thanks to Ignitious for being the first reviewer : Please review and subscribe! I'd really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed!**_


	3. Cambiare - Robin

"Mother!" Morgan called again, cutting through more creatures with spells before reaching his mother's side. He helped her get to her feet before staring at the strange newcomer that appeared in a flash of light and ran off to face more of the enemy. In awe, Morgan quirked a single brow at the clear foreigner. "... Who is that? And what in Naga's name is he wearing?"

Robin was too amazed to even respond. The boy fought with such fluidity and grace, it was hard to call it swordplay in the first place. And yet, he repelled the creatures with ease, doing a much better job than what she was doing, especially since she was so rusty in battle after such an absence of war. The blue energy that seeped from the red metal acted as a blade of sorts, slicing through each enemy like butter. He was flexible and agile, performing complicated acrobatics as he glided through the horde, a blue stream of energy trailing behind him. She had just noticed the blue symbol that had appeared in the glass of the red blade, the same shade emitting from his entire body as his running speed immensely increased. was soaring at mach speed. Sparks of energy flew with each hit like fireworks up close, reflecting in his smiling grey-blue eyes.

However, as he was predisposed with a particular set of adversaries, another group took the opportunity to attempt to ambush him from behind. Robin was quick to react and threw an Elwind spell at the group, who were thrown away with the force of the attack. They laid flat against it, then began to dissipate in a flurry of purple specks, which took a moment of confusion for the tactician queen. She found herself standing back to back with the new fighter, who smiled gently in thanks when she returned to her senses.

"Thanks, but I already knew that they were there," he said as he cut down another monster with a simple slice. The two were back to back, neck and neck. Robin let loose a variety of spells. She could feel her tome weathering away in sudden age, feeling it ready to break, but durability wasn't an important matter to her. What mattered was the disappearance of these strange creatures. "I do appreciate the help, though!" The boy chirped suddenly, just as the tome cracked in half in her hands.

"As do I," Robin simply commented, drawing her silver sword to continue in battle, hardly missing a beat. The tight formation broke as the two - almost simultaneously - ran through a few opponents in nearly choreographed timing. They turned at the same time, Robin's stern eyes meeting his. "But you've a _lot_ of explaining to do-"

She caught the eye of a monster in the middle of them, and she dashed appropriately. She sliced straight through it, yet found her sword nearly slicing flesh. Before long, a cyan light glimmered against her own neck as well. Remnants of violet dropped between their blades, leaving Robin with raised brows and the other boy with a cheeky grin.

"We'll talk later after we clear through these buggers!" With that being said, the two dashed in opposite directions, tearing down every creature that approached them with newfound vigor. Morgan quickly joined in the fray, striking each opponent after another with a passionate fire spell drawn from the glyphs in his tome.. When Robin stabbed a creature, the boy was right behind her, nailing another of their kind. Robin was quick to back up Morgan whenever he needed it, and he was always watching the new fighter's back as he three worked together with such fluidity that it astounded her, as if they were all part of a never-ending river, flowing through each crease and sweeping everything away. It almost reminded her of the fabled Triangle Attacks written in legend of the ancient pegasus Knights, and the new fighter seemed to have that familiarity with the way he fought as well. Once in awhile, she'd catch suspicious glances from Morgan over to him, and with all good reason.

For now, it was clear he wasn't the enemy.

Time passed in a blink of an eye until the horde was cleared and the citizens around the area were evacuated by the nearby soldiers. Lissa had finally made her way back to Robin and Morgan but immediately pouting as she missed the fun but had her guard well kept. She was hasty to flash her bolt axe at the sight of the newcomer. A threatening glance from her gray eyes suggested a quick death from her hand, but the boy was quick to raise his hands despite the situation.

"Easy, easy! I'm a friend, I swear!" he hurriedly cautioned, his mannerisms much more relaxed than earlier. He waved his hands with a distressed look as he carefully backed away, Lissa following through in her unspoken threat. Uncaring, the bolt axe crackled with a threatening lightning magic. Robin noted the striking difference between the fighter that had helped him in battle and the boy standing before her. He seemed more lax, lacking the confidence that he wore earlier and appearing more... simple, for lack of a better word.

"Says the freaky red sword on you!" Lissa spat back. The look and daringness on the princess was also different - she was no longer the timid girl hidden behind a staff, but a seasoned fighter who had seen war in the frontlines. "Is that some sort of magic? Are you with those creepy monsters? Robin, say the word and I'll slice him up into mince meat!"

"Lissa, it's okay," Robin soothed. "He saved my life and fought by my side." She turned towards him, raising an eyebrow in utter confusion. She made a gesture toward him as a silent comment to his attire, and a jerked nod from Robin suggested that she already knew how otherworldly he seemed. Her light eyes rose to meet the boy's with a stern glance - the kind she'd give to anyone who misplaced her books. "Although, I'm not going to trust you just yet." she breathed, her noble queen-like tone returning to her words, "Who are you and what do you know about Chrom?"

"What, you know 'im?" A blonde brow quirked back at her, and his hurried stare to how Lissa wringed her hands around the axe immediately had him clear his throat. "I mean, are you related to him?" He sounded more formal now, trying his hardest not to seem disrespectful.

Robin crossed her arms, her neutral glance held true. "If you must know, he is my husband."

"And my big brother!" Lissa interjected with a pout.

The boy's eyes lit up at the responses, his hands coming to fists at his stomach. "Incredible, I really found the right person!" He exclaimed with a sense of urgency behind his words. It was as if he suddenly remembered where he was and what he was here for, but Robin refused to let him be without any information "Do you know where I can find him? I have to speak to him immediately."

The entire mood of the rest of the group sunk, a factor that he quickly noticed. Dropping his gaze, he brought his hand to scratch the back of his head and look at the floor with newfound interest. Nonetheless, his legs itched to run away. "... M'sorry, did I say something wrong?" Silence was his only response, as everyone's glance dropped as well. Robin even had anguish written across her countenance; she felt her brows pinch in near frustration.

Morgan was the first to speak up, rubbing the back of his hand in worry. "We don't know where he is," he admitted.

"You don't?" The boy was practically taken aback at the thought.

"We were hoping that he was down here fighting against the monsters," Lissa fretted. She turned to Robin, distress paling her features and fear in her bones. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find him anywhere. None of the scouts I sent out could either." Folding her hands over her axe, she heaved a great sigh as she eyed the floor. "Robin, I'm really worried. What if something horrible happened to him?"

A guardsmen hurried to the group, interrupting any further conversation. "Your Grace," he saluted, "All of the citizens have been evacuated and are on their way to Ylisstol Castle. We must withdraw from the city immediately so that the soldiers may dampen the fires and take care of the rest of the monsters."

"'Your Grace? Are you some sort of royalty?'" the boy choked, before quickly bowing at the hip, arm over his stomach. "I-I apologize if I acted out of line, I didn't mean-" He paused when Robin held a finger at him, and he nervously straightened himself.

Robin acknowledged the soldier's words with a quick nod, initially ignoring the boy's weight shifting back and forth on his legs. She wore an expression of bitter sadness as she turned to the nervous Lissa, frowning at the thought of Chrom. "It's alright, for all we know, he could be back at the castle." She directed her attention towards the boy again, hasty herself this time. "You." She breathed, "what is your name?"

"Shulk, ma'am." He replied, giving a nervous look as if he was bent on bowing yet again.

"Shulk…I see..." she pondered the odd name for a moment. She was almost ready to comment on how foreign it sounded, but she hurriedly moved before having to remember one of the first words she shared with her husband. "I thank you for saving my life," She bowed herself, "but I'm far from done dealing with you, and you have a load of explaining to do. I'd like you to accompany us back to the castle, if you may. It'll be a more…" she glanced at the growing fires from the building, "... suitable place to talk."

"O-Of course," he replied correcting his posture for the umpteenth time. "But… I didn't quite catch your name, your ladyship-"

She gave a small smile. "It's Robin. Formalities are beyond us here. This is my son, Morgan, and my sister-in-law, Lissa." She gestured to the two respectively. With a nod, Robin indicated the wayward soldier to lead them out of the wreckage and to the path up the hill leading to the castle. Their journey was silent, as to not inadvertently pass rumors amongst the soldiers.

Shulk snuck his way over to Morgan, cupping his hand around his mouth. "Is she really your mum?" he asked in a low voice. "She looks like she couldn't be much older than you."

"It's a _really _long story," Morgan simply replied. Confounded, Shulk knit his brows, but decided he shouldn't pry further.

* * *

Frederick greeted them at the entrance hall amongst the crowd of refugee citizens with one of the grimmest expressions Robin had ever seen on him. He hadn't really changed much in the many years that she knew him, aside from the happier glow he emitted around Lissa, which was truly remarkable. However, he looked more tired in that exact moment then she had ever seen him.

Lissa quickly ran to her husband and slammed into him with a hug, hitting her cheek against his armor. "Frederick, he wasn't down there, n-no one could find him and… Please tell me you found him, Frederick, please!" she begged, tears lining her vision.

Frederick's expression remained pained. "Lissa… we searched the entire castle and found no one." He looked at Robin with mournful eyes. "However, when I investigated his study, it was completely ruined. There were obvious signs of a struggle, but no trace of His Majesty himself."

Robin's heart skipped a beat as Lissa bursted into tears. Soon, she was overwhelmed by the memories and sensations of him: when she woke up in that field, not recalling who she was, as he reached for her hand, his cerulean eyes gleaming with kindness. When he had sobbed in her arms after his sister Emmeryn's death and had felt the pain he experienced as if it were her own. When he had proposed to her in the middle of a desert after the defeat of Gangrel, when the bonds that tied them together became like steel. She remembered the scent in his hair as she leaned over his person, the warmth in his embrace and the heartbeat in his chest that hers went along with, his eyes, his kisses…

It was with horrifying realization that she may never see him again.

Rage boiling inside her, she rushed towards Shulk, who was observing the scene before him. "I want an explanation for this," she ordered, her chest hurting with every word. She had never been this mad before, but the grief overwhelmed her all the same. "Why are you here and why were you searching for him in the first place? Do you know what took him away? Was it those… those _things _that attacked Ylisstol?! What do they want?! _Answer me!_"

Shulk raised his hands in defense. "Ma'am, it's alright! I'll explain everything, but...could we go someplace private?" He looked over her shoulder at the citizens who were now staring at them, and the heavy eyes of the Great Knight who seemed distrusting without a moment's notice.

Robin hadn't realized how loud her voice had rose, but she didn't care. It was only the gentle hand of her on that finally snapped her out of her rage. Blinking, she made the tiniests of gasps as she turned to glance at her son.

"Mother…" Morgan murmured, his voice quivering, "please calm down, we'll figure this out together, but you can't take it out on him." He took it down and massaged it with his own in his best efforts to soothe her.

A lump developed in her throat on the sinking realization of her son's presence. How could she even imagine what he felt, his father gone without a trace when they had only recently reunited? She moved past to embrace him, squeezing him tightly. "Oh Morgan," she sympathized with him as she finally relaxed, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize how hard it may be for you..."

Frederick walked over to the newcomer, his sniffling wife in tow. He seemed just as ready to slay him as Lissa was initially, and Shulk's nervousness could be made in his prolonged swallow. "You there," Frederick sighed, worn and weary from th day, though still maintaining his stiff tone and posture. Very subtly, he could be seen assuring Lissa by stroking her back. "If you wish to explain the situation to us in private, then we shall allow it. We can discuss this in one of the studies."

Shulk only nodded. Robin slowly let go of Morgan and began her trek out of the hall without a word, ignoring the dots of hot tears against her stomach. Frederick, Lissa, Morgan, and Shulk quickly followed suit, Shulk immediately taking the front for the royal knight's sake. Soldiers and maids were lining the interior, sweeping away the debris that the earthquake caused and clearing the entrance to the Queen's personal library. Inside, a plush velvet chair sat behind a dark mahogany desk covered in books and a faint burning candle. The maroon curtains were drawn, allowing little light into the dark room. Two other chairs faced opposite of the desk.

Robin opened the curtains to let light into the room as Lissa and Morgan sat down on the guest chairs. Frederick walked between Robin and Shulk, arms behind his back at attention, and Shulk remained standing, stiff as a board.

"Explain from the beginning," Robin said quietly, though traces of exasperation lined her tone, facing the boy. "Everything that we must know about you and this situation, please. I highly doubt you'd be ignorant enough to lie." To back her words in passing, Robin felt a drawer that contained her prized Thoron at the ready - fresh and new, prepared to whip out at a strike.

Shulk cleared his throat, sweat developing on his brow. "I'm not from this world, as you can tell," he began, and told his tale. He explained how he wasn't from this world, how he was from an obscure land called the Bionis, how Bionis was plagued by the Mechon and how a certain revered soldier, Dunban, was ready to fight them with the sword he wore on his back. He twitched and carefully pulled himself to explain the next part of his story, clearly biting back tears.

"Everything was fine until a year after the Battle of Sword Valley, when the Mechon attacked Colony Nine and killed Dunban's sister, Fiora. She and I were close friends, likely more than that, and… I was so angry, I took the Monado in a desperate streak. I _had_ to kill the Mechon. Later, It's turns out that I was the true Heir to the Monado, not Dunban, and was destined to wield it for the future of the two lands… it's weird, really. Me, being the chosen wielder of a weapon said to be used by the Bionis himself! It's still hard to grasp…"

"So what does this have to do with anything?" Frederick the Wary cut in, bored and unimpressed. He found absolutely no moving story behind Shulk's words, and was just about ready to imprison him the moment Robin gave word. Shifting a little, Shulk laughed with himself, his lax personality surfacing yet again. She could only note how… real, Shulk was. Surprisingly, open as well. It only had her natural tactical thought determine how flighty the boy was - which could, actually, explain his agility in battle.

"You asked for the truth, and about me…" Shulk passed a glance toward Frederick, sounding oddly calm despite his clear awareness in Frederick's strength. "This is the most I can offer. I could move on, yeah?" Shulk met Robin's eyes, and she patiently nodded without a further word.

"Well, to more current matters, I got an invitation," he responded, pulling out a crumpled envelope with a broken wax seal on it, an object that had Robin nearly gasp upon seeing, "it's to a thing called a 'Smash Brothers tournament.'"

Robin recognized the envelope immediately, straightening her seat in sudden urgency. "Chrom got one of those." The confused looks of the rest of the group indicated their thoughts on the matter. "It was an invitation to a fighting tournament," she explained. "sent in an envelope…sealed with red wax." Her lips rolled inwardly in thought. "Much like what Shulk is holding."

"Precisely," Shulk agreed. "Now, as odd as this sounds, a trait that the Monado wielder gets are these 'visions' that show me the future. Most of the time, I get them right before someone is about to die, or something terrible is about to happen, but…" he looked Robin straight in the eyes, becoming more serious, "as soon as I read the envelope, I got a rather lengthy vision with you in it."

"Me?" Confused, Robin gestured to her chest.

"Yes." Shulk affirmed, "I saw me saving you from an attack, if you recall. It was a whole bunch of images… a boy with pointy ears fighting me, me turning to stone as a woman in red laughs over my body, a beautiful girl smiling at me with red eyes..." He scratched behind his ear while he broke eye contact to look at the sides. "I normally get these kinds of pictures, but it was a lot more of them than what I normally get. And then…"

"And then?" Lissa pressed. "What, Shulk?"

"I was whisked away by something. I'm not exactly sure what yet but… for a while, I was floating in black aimlessly, and a voice whispered in my ear, telling me to find a man named Chrom and how the universe was going to collapse by the hands of an evil magician."

Once again, Frederick was unamused, breaking all of his formality to cross his arms over his chest. "So a voice tells you to find a man you never met and help save the universe, and you blindly follow them? I believe Her Majesty told you _not_ to lie."

"I know it sounds unbelievable," Shulk huffed, well kept annoyance rising in his tone, "but if it weren't true, then how could I have gotten here in the first place? How would I have known this person's name if I've never met him? For Bionis's sake, lying would get me nowhere, and I'm pretty sure I've explained my most personal matters - what more does it take?" He sighed in exasperation, realization creeping into how he was in no advantageous position, and Frederick merely twitched in preparation to strike.

"He has a point," Morgan spoke up. "He's not really sure about the situation as we are." This made the Great Knight deride just a little, as Morgan was well-versed in tactics as much as his mother.

Robin ignored the bickering. She instead had returned to her seat, carefully studying Shulk's actions to see if Frederick's engagement was valid, and whisked away the thought immediately. "Then do you know about the creatures that attacked us? Did the voice explain anything to you?"

"They're called Primids. They're made up of dark matter and blindlessly follow whoever is in control. But the thing is is that your home isn't the only place being attacked. It's happening everywhere apparently. Though I didn't see it myself, the voice told me that Primids also attacked the Bionis." He clenched his fist, immediately displeased with the idea of how he isn't there to fight the Primids himself.

"And this magician that you mentioned, do you believe that they control the Primids?" Robin inquired. A scritch-scratch of a quill across a paper had her briefly meet eyes with Morgan, who deemed the situation noteworthy. Brown irises soon flicked back to Shulk.

"The voice told me so." He responded, sounding just as confused as everyone felt in the room. "The only way to stop them is to rally the tournament participants with Chrom leading the battle, but as you can see…" She took note on how his lip curled in a near snarl of frustration. "He isn't here."

Robin's heartstrings were pulled at the reminder. Once again, the smell of polished metal and flowers crossed her nose - the smell she would have when Chrom embraced her for the first time. "What was your next mission? Did the voice tell you?" she asked again, her voice slightly trembling.

"Go to the other worlds through one of your gates and gather everyone else who received the invitation, I suppose." Shulk's eyes drooped in sympathy, and Robin turned away to meet her gaze with the desk. She impatiently tapped her desktop, trying to distract herself altogether.

"Does he mean the Outrealm Gates?" Morgan asked, standing up from his sudden interest, and also attempting to clear the air. He glanced at Lissa and Frederick, the latter nodding with authority.

"Sounds like them." Lissa responded, shifting in her seat. "It would make sense if he was from another world."

"If that's the case," Shulk kept an even glance at the princess now, straightening his posture in preparation to leave. "I'll need to be there."

"I'll join, you, then."

Her voice was clear as day, and cut through the conversations in a pregnant silence. Robin raised her head, any semblances of regality escaping her. Her facial expressions broke from a wary queen to a seasoned tactician all over again, as everyon turned to face her when she spoke. "I'll join you," she repeated, "if it is to get him back."

A sudden uproar of confusion erupted from the party as they pestered Robin with questions on the matter. Lissa almost bursted into tears again at the thought of another family member running off. Frederick was hasty to back Lissa with questions, and Morgan was watching with a shocked glance amongst the queries. Shulk remained still, staring at the queen in shock.

Robin certainly wasn't in the mood for such a response, and hurriedly raised her hand to call silence in the room. "Think about it. As soon as these Primids begin to invade, Chrom disappears, most likely abducted from the looks of it. That cannot be a coincidence. Traveling with Shulk could be the only trail I have to find him." She could practically feel herself in the throes of war yet again, making preparations and laying out the tactics of how to assess the enemy-ridden lands all over again. "You all know that, I'm sure."

No one had a decent response to her conclusions. Shulk, clearly the foreign one of the group, was a bit worried about the situation. He took careful steps forward, placing his hands on the desk despite feeling Frederick's glare at his neck. Legitimate concern surfaced on his irises while he spoke.

"Ma'am, are you sure you can handle yourself out there?" He had seen her fight, but he also knew what the visions entailed. It was her death on the line, and he refused to let that happen to her. "It's really dangerous in the other worlds, from what I've seen, and you'll be putting your life on the line several times."

Robin only glared at the boy, clearly offended by his words. "I know you just met me, and I know that my first battling impressions of me likely weren't great, but I'll have you know that I've handled my fair share of war before. I'm a veteran tactician with a mastery in both swordplay and magic, so I think I can handle myself out there, just as much as your glowing _toy_ there could." She found herself inches away from his face before she even realized that she was inching herself in his direction. She didn't mean to insult the supposed legendary weapon, but at this point she didn't care. "I've fought the greatest war Ylisse has seen, and won it too. I have nearly died, nearly let _others_ die, and saved this world from a terrifying future." It was the kind of anger she disliked - the kind where she would be furious while in tears. She could feel them sliding down her cheek in a heartfelt rage. Her voice was then cracked, and practically broken, but still held it's stern word.

"And if you _think_ you can keep me from going out there to find my husband, then you've got another thing coming. Do you understand, Shulk?"

Shulk nodded, fright in his every breath. She noticed how he managed to step away in audible fear to her moment of passion, but she didn't care at this point. She straightened, red-cheeked yet all the more ready to journey, and cracked an earnest smile at his understanding. In turn, he managed to smile as well, knowing very well what it's like to avenge someone close to them.

"Good," she answered, with a last tap on her desk, "we leave within the hour. Meet me in the entrance hall, I have to grab a few things." And with that, she left the study with a harshly pregnant silence in the air, the only sound being the closing door behinf them. Everyone was too shocked for words at how quickly Robin was able to go from queen mode to tactician mode, and all the more endeared to what Chrom meant to her.

Morgan folded his paper with an amused grin, finally breaking the pause with some very proud words. "That's my mother," he sighed wistfully.

* * *

Robin made her way to their bedroom, which was strangely unaffected by the previous earthquake for the most part. There was a good amount of dust on the floor, but the furniture remained untouched. She finally exhaled, having only realized how long she was holding her breath, and felt her muscles relax. She gazed around the room and felt her heartstrings tug at her chest again, feeling the innate nostalgia and familiarity of the place. She was rather thankful it hadn't been lost to ruin.

The curtains were open and shed light onto the bed, which was already made by the chambermaids, but a faint indentation on the left side indicated a person who had previously sat there. She sat next to it and moved her hand along the groove. To her surprise, it was still warm, as if the person who had occupied the space was still there, sitting next to her and wishing her a good morning.

"I promise you," she whispered in a low voice, smiling as if he were there to smile back at her, "I'll find you, one way or another. We'll all be together again soon." She soon stood up, dusting her tattered dress off, and hurriedly moved for the dark trunk in the corner of the room. Resisting tears, she walked over to the trunk and opened the locks. She reached for the object with two hands, carefully holding an overcoat by the shoulders. Despite its worn share of battle, it was fresh and made anew by the chambermaids, and it was hardly as Robin last remembered it. The fabric was restored anew, no longer littered with dust and all holes neatly sewn in place. The mulberry lining suggested a fresh look, with the stylistic stitching on each shoulder held true. The faint light caught the gold buttons and sleeves in a brilliant glow, enough to have the tactician beam at her old attire.

"Hello again, old friend," she sighed in happiness, before quickly turning serious and hasty enough to pull overcoat out of the trunk.

* * *

In the entrance hall, Morgan took the liberty of explaining magic tomes to Shulk to pass the time, and keep him well informed for the future.

"So the color on the tome indicates what kind of spell it can cast," he explained, holding up a green book to the other boy. "This one is green, so you can cast wind magic with it. The yellow ones cast lightning spells, the red ones casts fire spells, and the purple ones cast dark magic."

"And only a certain person can use it?" Shulk asked, handling the book as if it were a new specimen to observe. The books reminded him of ether crystals and how they operated by color as well. Interest scanned through his eyes as he studied the ancient markings along the spine and throughout the edges. "And, magic, I'm assuming that's like ether in our world."

"Well, anyone can learn how to use magic! You have to study and train really hard, though. Like I've been learning how to use tomes since I was a little kid. A great tactician always knows how to utilize their tomes!" Morgan chirped in response. He gently took the tome from Shulk with the utmost care, and placed it in his satchel. "From what you told me, I'm guessing magic and ether are very similar! You and Mother will get along well - swords and magic seem to be your forte! That _is_ magic - err, ether - yeah…?" He gestured to the sword.

Shulk pulled it out on cue, as if checking to see if it were still there. A whirr in the machinations of the Monado had the sword spring to life, the electric blue light dancing in its glow. "The Monado is powered by the purest form of ether in the Bionis." Shulk explained, turning the sword in his hands with interest. "And can control it, suited to its user. These, and your tomes, are rather similar." Morgan reached his hand toward the blade, and before Shulk could react wildly, he merely cupped the ether-power blade under the blue light - though dared not to touch the actual blade-like formation it took.

"It's warm," Morgan noted, and astutely got back to work.

Lissa and Frederick observed the pair on the sidelines, with the former occasionally using a handkerchief on her nose. "Do you really think that Robin and this boy can do it?" she asked Frederick. "Find him, I mean. We don't have any clues to where he might be."

"Her Majesty has been granted a gifted mind from the gods," Frederick merely said, wrapping an arm around the smaller woman to keep her close. "As much as I am cynical about her every actions, I have full faith in her. None can be so passionate as her when she sets her mind on a task, anyway. You know that, Lissa."

"Yeah, Robin's the best at these things!" Lissa piped up, and then immediately blew her nose. "They'll get past this, I'm sure-"

"Ah yes, this 'Robin' person is clearly important from the praises she's getting." a voice behind them quipped playfully, mocking Frederick's toe. They turned around and gasped at the sight behind them.

"Robin! You're wearing it again!" Lissa exclaimed. Robin donned her old tactician outfit, complete with her favorite old coat and Levin Sword at her hip. She carried a sack of forged tomes over her shoulder along with other sorts of swords strapped to her back and sides. Her silver hair, no longer down and free, was tied up into twin pigtails, reminiscing of her younger self. One could carefully notice her nostalgic glint in her eyes, as if stricken with another idea.

"The situation called for it," she responded, shrugging nonchalantly. "A good tactician is always prepared for battle, correct?"

"Ohhhh my gods, I'm getting a nostalgic trip from this!" Lissa walked around the other woman, examining her outfit with cheerful claps. "You look as great as ever in it! Lucky you, my old dress doesn't even fit me anymore." Lissa pouted, patting Robin's back in encouragement.

"Oh, Mother, you're all suited up!" Morgan exclaimed as she suddenly found him behind her. "Great! Are we all ready to go?"

"'We?' Morgan-" She noticed the sacks he had prepared, and thought it was for her travel, but her heart sank as he seemed astute in his mage clothing, ready to tag along. About three or so satchels hung from his belt along.

"I managed to pack some supplies for all of us, since I don't think Shulk packed any," he interrupted, holding up another sack full of food and vulneraries, donning an excited grin. "It's going to be a really long journey, so better be prepared properly, like the good tacticians we are!"

"Morgan," she hushed, denying the sack with displeased sigh, "I'm doing this by myself. You have to stay here."

The excited light in his eyes dimmed as he frowned. "But I thought that this is something that we can do together… I wanna save Father too!" Almost childishly, he quivered his lip, though the situation was much more serious than his expressions suggested.

"I understand that, really, but you heard Shulk, it's going to be really dangerous. I can't risk you getting hurt." Robin knelt down to meet Morgan's saddened eyes, much like a child denied a trip to the candy store. She reached her hand to rub his head, a sad smile playing at the edge of her lips.

"But I can handle myself! We can protect each other!" Morgan pleaded with his entire being, hands folded like a miser, "please, Mother, I want to help you!"

Robin shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this is something that I must do myself." She stroked his head yet again. "Besides, there are so many people here that need your help more than I ever could. I need you to protect the castle and everyone else in it, including Aunt Lissa and Uncle Frederick. Don't forget about little Luci and the other children in the bunkers. You're the best person to take care of them all, especially in my absence. I'm sure you'd understand…"

Morgan wanted to cry, to scream and beg for the journey and to continue to be by his mother's side. All the years that he had forgotten, the chunk of his life that had disappeared, never to rise again… he wanted to refill them with her, the one person that he remembered. If anything were to happen to her, he would never forgive himself, just as he never did when Lucina left their lives. "Okay," he finally decided, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

She only embraced him, her heart reaching her stomach at his expression. "I love you so much," she whispered in his ear. "You're so, so brave. Stay safe for me. When I return, we'll all be together again, I promise you." Morgan remained silent in her arms, but the movement against her body suggested a nod.

When she finally had let go, she turned towards her in-laws, her tone taking the official blend at the two. "Lissa, Frederick, I leave you in charge of the army and the castle while I'm gone. If things get too far out of hand… send for the rest of the Shepherds, young and old. They'll be more than happy to help, I'm sure of it." She stood and patted her son's shoulder. "If desperately needed, Morgan can be your tactician, but someone must tend to the children."

The younger tactician held back an excited squeal under his throat at the idea, and Robin only affirmed with more pats and rubs.

Lissa nodded, determination shining in her eyes. Her petite figure moved itself toward Robin's taller one, embracing her closely. "When you find Chrom and the guys who took him," she proclaimed, "kick their butts for me! Give 'em the old one-two." Robin nodded, looking past her shoulder at Frederick, who wore a kinder smile at his wife and faithful tactician. He didn't give so much of word - his tidings of good luck held in his eyes.

"You have a family to return to, Your Grace. Remember that" Lissa released Robin to join with Frederick, reaching to hold his hand. Morgan moved next to him, facing his mother as well with a tearful glance, and Robin was just about to shed tears herself before and awkward clearing of the throat interrupted the moment.

Shulk stood, the Monado and a few of Morgan's sacks strapped to him as well. His gaze was heavy, yet endeared at the family dynamic. Almost ruefully, he gestured outside. "Are you ready to go, ma'am?" he asked.

"Indeed." Robin breathed, her farewells left behind for her to turn and face the opposite direction of the castle entrance. "To the Outrealm Gates it is."

* * *

_**Author's notes: A thousand and ten thanks to my wonderful beta who worked tirelessly into the night, who I shall dub as Jin,since she doesn't have an account here! She's a babe in every sense of the word.**_

_**We've had a lot more exposition here delivered by our special boy Shulk. I just finished playing Xenoblade Chronicles, so I HAD to write about him in a huge interval to do something with my emotions prior. I'm still a bit rusty with his characterization, however, so if any of you guys want to point something out to me, please go ahead! I am still a growing writer despite everything.**_

_**Please bear with me for the next week or so, I have to finish college finals and prepare for a 1000 word timed write. After that will be four weeks of everything Time Mistress!**_

_**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review if you liked it!**_


	4. Agitato - Red

"Today on World Pokemon News, the Kalos region has begun experiencing turbulence as oddly colored storm clouds begun covering most major cities, including Lumiose City. While the most prominent of the clouds are in Kalos, similar systems have been spotted in other major cities throughout the regions, affecting its major cities such as Mauville, Celadon and Castelia City. Meteorologists have concluded that a superstorm of sorts will be making its way all throughout the area, so citizens are advised to stay indoors as to avoid any sort of trouble with the weather. In other news…"

Red found himself tuning out the rest of the broadcast on the bus, allowing it to slowly become background noise to his mind. Lazy brown eyes found interest darkened clouds in the air, masking any hint of the bright blue skies he was used to. All of the news stations near and far have been saying the same news over and over again about the weather, about how it started as a small loud and expanded to a larger one, and spread amongst many cities all throughout the region. It was even the talk on every TV station - even occasionally interrupting the cartoons and game shows Red found himself inclined to watch in the morning. The trainer found it a little bothersome, he had to admit. It was only a huge storm cloud, what else could possibly go wrong besides a little rain?

He had to head over to Celadon City, since Serena was staying in a hotel. He was insistent on her staying at his home region during the next few days before they would head over to the tournament. She obliged, saying that it was rude to ask a girl to stay the night over at his house. He had no idea what she meant, but helped her book her room in Celadon. In his opinion, it was to be a quick bike ride to the city, as long as he didn't run into any trainers wanting to battle (or rematch, for that matter), but his mom refused. She had been worrying about the weather and Red as well, and had him take a bus instead. He had been on this mechanical beast for an hour and a half now, crammed with other travelers like Seels and Dewgongs huddled together on a glacier over of the seats. The cold he felt within the entire busride was rather inconvenient, and literally chilling. He wished he could tell the ice enthusiast trainer to keep them in their pokeballs, but he refused to complain afterward - especially since the Pikachu by his side shared the same nature. He much rather prefer going outside and soaring on the air with his bike, running about with his pokemon instead of leaving them in their Pokeballs, but he knew better than to argue with his mom when she was worried about something.

They had left early, and the overcast was the perfect weather for many to sleep in, so Red understood why he was so tired. His red cheeks slightly crackled with electricity every time that the small television sets embedded into the walls and chairs of the bus experienced static, as if the storm were interfering with the signal. _Maybe he was dreaming in sync with the broadcast_, Red pondered to himself, wondering if the professor had mentioned something of the sort.

A blinking of a light and an announcement from the driver indicated that they were arriving to their destination, causing relief of the Pokemon trainer. He nudged the sleeping creature next to him awake, and the Pokemon whined in annoyance. Red simply picked him up and let him rest on his shoulder, the drowsy Pikachu prepared to sleep yet again. The man standing up groaned in happiness as he sat down the fastest Red had ever seen a person sit down, grumbling about his sore legs. When the bus creaked to a halt, he quickly ran out, thankful for the ability to move again, where a lone, tall, and blue Pokemon was waiting for them at the bus stop.

The Greninja, Red had quickly recognized, looked pouty and concerned when he had first saw it, but immediately grew alert at the sight of the trainer. He hopped over to his position, shades of blue dancing in what little light the sun had offered.

"Are… are you Serena's Greninja?" Red guessed, remembering her mentioning how the Greninja had been invited to the tournament. With a grunt, he nodded, displaying a cool demeanor, almost as if he were prepared to disappear at any second and escape the situation. He began to hop down the sidewalk towards the bulk of the metropolis before stopping, turning around and ushering the trainer to follow him with his webbed hand. Confused but not too surprised, Red followed along Pikachu wriggling slightly on his shoulder.

Red quickly assumed that he was going to lead them to Serena's hotel, since he didn't have a bloody clue where it was. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and landed beside him as he continued forward, following the other Pokemon ahead of them. The normally bustling Celadon City was unnaturally quiet and dismal, the grey skies certainly not helping the situation. Everyone was most likely indoors, preparing themselves for the storm like the news had instructed. Only a few citizens were out and about, but even they were rushing to get inside. Some carried a huge quantity of dry goods and other groceries. _Weird._ Red thought, looking at the sky with confusion written across his face. _Just what is up there…? _

Soon enough, the Greninja stopped at the front of a hotel, its warm lights from inside glowing onto the pavement, right as it begun to gently rain. Red had no delays getting inside, especially with Pikachu's crackling cheeks as a warning. A receptionist spotted them pass through to the elevator and greeted them with a nod before dealing with the large bickering crowd behind the desk. Without asking questions, the group hurried into the elevator, the distant clap of thunder sounding off outside.

When they got to the top, the Greninja led them down the hall to a door indicating a suite room. As if it were on a secret mission, the Pokemon glanced around his shoulder a few times, then quickly rapped his palm against the door. To Red's surprise, a disgruntled Lucario answered the door, red eyes displeased with the sudden interruption, but then softend at the sight of the familiar trainer.

"_I assume you are ready to go then_," Lucario acknowledged via telepathy. "_But you must give Miss Serena a moment, she is in contact with her friends and mother at the moment and… You will just have to see._" He stood aside to let the group in. Greninja hastily ran into the room, Red and Pikachu quickly following suit.

He found himself amending his previous thought, because there was no possible way to call Serena's current residence just a room. The entire perimeter was realistically bigger than his house, with windows completely making up the wall opposite to the door, the storm turbulating outside in full view. The furniture was white and crisp with a funky, artistic edge to it, complete with a hole-in-the-wall kitchen and a dining room separate to the sitting area where a large, flat screen television was on, where, once again, the news was on. The television showed a woman anchor in a rigid state, informing her audience of something, most likely the storm, with a few blurry pictures to her right. Serena stood in front of the television, her Holo Caster projecting images of an older woman, a boy, and a girl that couldn't be older than herself. All of them were in a disheveled state.

"_Serena, dear, I promise you that everything is alright from where we're at_," the woman spoke reassuringly, severely more composed than the other children. With the specific tone that she took, Red could only assume that she was the other trainer's mother. "_The storm hasn't come close to Vaniville Town. It's really just affecting Lumiose City. What I'm more worried about is you over at Celadon_."

"Mom, everything's alright," she responded with a huff. She directed her attention to the other teenagers. "Calem, Shauna, you're near Lumiose, though, right?"

The boy's image scratched the back of his head as he glanced in another direction. "_We're a safe distance away, but they evacuated the surrounding areas into bunkers_," he confessed. "_We don't know what's happening, really. The police aren't telling us anything, but I know that it isn't the storm_."

"That's what the news is saying right now…" She glanced at the television again, which showed another blurry image in full screen, a set of red, glowing circles being the only distinguishable part of it.

"_Shouldn't the hotel be evacuating too?_" the girl - Shauna, Red noted - accused, extreme concern in her eyes. "_Everything's been silent from the Kanto region! The news reports can't even get a read of what's happening there. And don't think I can't hear that thunderstorm from outside!_"

"We're leaving for the tournament in a bit anyway, there's no need for us to be evacuated."

"_Yeah, and when is that going to happen? In a few hours? Tomorrow? You're stuck in Celadon until then!_"

"I-It's only going to be a few minutes, Shauna…"

"_So I'm not allowed to be worried?_" She pouted, but even Red could tell how serious she was. "_I don't want anything to happen to my friends, but especially to you, Serena! And since you're going to this dumb tournament with Greninja, I won't even know if something happens to you, I won't hear a thing! I just…_"

Calem interrupted, looking downcast. "_What she's trying to say is that we all care a lot about you. None of us would bear to see you get hurt_."

A slight shade of red crept over Serena's cheek. "I care about you guys too," she reaffirmed, "and I don't want anything to happen to you guys, either, so please promise me that you'll guys be careful, okay? I want to hear from you if anything happens. I'll still have my Holo Caster on me, you know."

The teenagers remained silent for a moment before they both nodded.

"_Serena, if anything happens over there, come straight home_," her mom pleaded. "_I know that you're capable of handling yourself, but don't make this worn old woman age anymore with worry_."

Serena laughed quietly, her mood slightly rising from the joke. "I will. Love you, mom, and please stay safe, everyone. I'll talk to you later." She turned off the Holo Caster and sighed, exasperated. The Greninja made his way to her almost immediately, snuggling his head into her side. Surprised by the sudden presence, she stroked the Pokemon's head and turned towards the new guests.

"O-Oh! I didn't even hear you come in!" Pikachu joined Greninja, crying happily for affection. She knelt and gave him exactly that.

"Is everything alright?" Red queried. "I didn't really pay attention to what you were talking about, but…"

She flashed a glowing smile similar to the one she and greeted him with when they first met.  
"Everything's fine! My mom was just worrying about the weather, really. What can you do with them?" She giggled, not a hint of her previous distress showing. Red frowned at the notion. "Are we all set to go? Greninja has been restless the entire morning from excitement!" A simple mutter from the mentioned Pokemon proved her phrase untrue. She simply laughed nervously after Red raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Anyway…" Red pulled out one of the invitations his Pokemon had received and placed it onto the glass counter by the couch. "It's a really cool way how we're gonna get there, I'm telling you. I did this in the last tournament so it should work the same way."

"Really? How're we gonna get there?" Serena was genuinely curious. Whether it was real or not, Red found her excitement contagious, the need to show off to her more ever the growing emotion.

"Yeah! See, if you look at the red wax over here, you can see-"

A clap of thunder and the sudden telepathic gasp of Lucario interrupted his explanation. The Aura Pokemon had raised his snout into the air as his posture stiffened, as if he had sensed something in the frozen atmosphere. The lights in the suite flickered as the blinding lighting flashed from outside.

"Lucario, is something wrong?" Red felt obligated to ask after the party had grown silent from his reaction.

He merely closed his eyes and breathed in the static air. "_Outside…_" he muttered, raising a glowing palm to the window, "_I sense red… there are auras out there that are multiplying at an alarming speed_."

Serena noticeably stiffened as well. "What does he mean…?" Greninja and Pikachu both darted their gaze towards Lucario's gesture, suddenly hostile as if a presence was emerging from the blackening clouds. Pikachu's cheeks buzzed with electricity as the two growled at the outskirts, their stances ready to pounce. All was silent for a moment, save for the patter of raindrops onto the glass. The rain and wind moved like waves onto the window, and for only a moment, Red was lost in the tranquility of the sound.

An explosion from outside rang in the air and he was immediately dragged back into reality. The windows shattered upon the sound, an unknown force sending the pieces of it flying. The flying glass glimmered in the fires of the eruption from down below and the wind ran rampant inside the suite like a hurricane. As if the room became a mouth of a vacuum, the wind reversed itself back into the outside world. There were screams and cries, the violent storm howling in his ears, and for only a moment, he managed to see through the raging water to lock eyes with Serena, who was closest to the window, her golden hair whipping violently around her face and her grey eyes wide with fear.

It happened too fast when the wind carried her through the window and into the earth below.

Red didn't even find himself thinking, only reacting. So when he jumped out the window after her, he really didn't think about how the fall would kill the both of them. He heard the distant call of Lucario and Pikachu among the noise, but they were too distant from his mind. What only mattered in the chaos of the storm was getting to her, reaching to her and saving her from whatever fate was left for her on the ground.

Webbed palms grabbed his sides before his hands touched hers, and before long, the same blue blur got a hold of Serena and landed on the ground, carrying the two to safety. It took him a moment to realize that it was Greninja with a displaced Pikachu on his shoulder who had saved them from an imminent death. Serena rested in his other arm, still from the shock of the situation.

Struggling to keep his hat attached to his head, he helped her get on her feet. "Are you alright?!" He called against the howling wind. Her hair was soaked and her own hat was notably displaced onto the pavement nearby. For a split second, she remained silent until life entered her eyes once again, nodding her head in response.

Pikachu softly landed onto the pavement and stiffened his position into an offensive form, his growling inpearable in the wind. The trainers didn't hesitate to glance at the Pokemon's direction, but it was difficult to see, as if the clouds from the storm itself had rested upon the earth. The wind and rain tormented the area, making it almost impossible for Red to see two feet in front of him. It wasn't until a set of glowing red eyes peeked through the storm before them that he had recognized Pikachu's reasoning to be hostile. Hundreds of other sets of eyes lit up, their owners veiled beneath the fog, and a pool of purple matter began spilling out of the weather. It felt all too familiar to him, and the purple mass triggered a sudden wave of memories that he had long determined to forget. There he stood, in the ruins of a zoo, with a terrified blond boy that sparked with a foreign energy, fighting day in and day out with beings of pure malice, standing before the gate to a world of darkness, where its king threatened the lives of every being in existence…

When the monsters slowly creeped out from the storm, his suspicions were hence confirmed to his utter horror. He remembered the abstract bodies that reminded him of something that he would see on a Saturday morning cartoon on television. But even after the amount of time that had passed since the war on Subspace, he could still recall the horror that the creatures before him inflicted on the worlds, how millions of lives had been lost in the void that they had erupted throughout the land as if it had happened the day before.

He was frozen. Only a whisper of a phrase - "Primid," he remembered - left his lips amongst the turbulence that slashed at his face.

Pikachu was as stunned as he was, but he had recovered from the initial surprise much faster than his human master had, and had quickly released a bolt of electricity from his cheeks and onto the oncoming army, dispatching a few enemies that dissolved into nothingness.

"What are those things?!" Serena cried as she viewed the new intruders. Even with the weather conditions, she still managed to look graceful as her hair flipped and turned in the rain.

At the sound of her voice, Red no longer felt stiff. Rather, a tone of bitter determination swept over his entire self. "Those are Primids," he responded loudly, his voice hoarse for some reason that didn't occur to him at the moment, "and we need to stop them before they destroy this whole place! Trust me, I've seen it happen!" He clenched his fists. "They're going to kill people unless we do something about it!"

Serena only stared at him from the sudden rigidness of the boy. But it only took a second for some sort of switch to go off in her head, and the grey eyes that were once wide with fear became a brewing pool of fierceness that was only comparable to the storm surrounding them. "You heard him, Greninja! We have to keep everyone in this city safe, just like old times!" She managed to grab her hat from the ground before it was blown away, and wore the soaked article with determined pride. "Greninja, use Hydro Pump!"

Without hesitation, the Pokemon blasted a jet of water from his mouth that smashed into a row of Primids. With a turn of his head, he doused the entirety of the front line and pelted them into oblivion. Upon the attack, the Primids immediately gained speed to retaliate, some spitting off and heading towards the various buildings behind them. Serena ordered another Hyrdo Pump as Greninja moved another blast of water towards the straggling soldiers, in which they disintegrated into matter upon impact. In order to cover her hide, Red directed Pikachu to attack the enemies that were to take advantage of her blind spot with a Quick Attack. However, the Pokemon's electrical attacks were notably weakened due to the onslaught of rain that collided against everyone. Realizing how he could use the weather to his advantage, Red reached into his pocket and pulled out three Pokeballs, two of which vibrated upon his touch. He tossed them at the crowd of Primids, where Pikachu was returned to the safety of his Pokeball and his Squirtle and Ivysaur emerged in a flash of light. The rain would certainly add power to their attacks, he noted, as the specific weather would positively affect the Water and Grass-type Pokemon.

With a cry, he ordered Squirtle and Ivysaur to use a combination of Razor Leaf and Hydro Pump, mimicking Serena's previous actions with Greninja and clearing out a few lines of Primids with their attacks. While most were destroyed in the process, some dodged the attack, learning from their fallen brethren, and aimed their attacks at the trainer. Most of them darted toward him, but some with a distinct shade of red on their bodies blasted streams of fire from a distance. Squirtle utilized the move Withdraw to protect both himself and his master from the fire attacks, and Ivysaur used Vine whip to deflect the oncoming enemies.

From behind him, Serena yelled for a Water Shuriken attack as a blade of water arose from somewhere behind Red, cutting through the Primids that Ivysaur and Squirtle were unable to defeat. She didn't bother to make eye contact with the other boy, only a quick touch of the shoulder as she dashed by alongside Greninja to get to the other enemies, her wet hair trailing behind her like ribbons. Even amongst the chaos of the hurricane that they were in, she beamed with a sort of confidence that glowed as brightly as the absent sun. Red was lost in the warmth for a split second, but put his thoughts aside to continue the battle.

However, it seemed that he dwelled on her presence for a moment too long, as a lone red Primid managed to sneak up on him from behind and grab hold of him. It's gloved hands felt like needles digging into his arms, and Red had no choice but to cry out in pain. Squirtle and Ivysaur tried to pry off the Primid by biting its limbs, but it simply swatted away the Pokemon with a swift kick, sending them scattered upon impact.

Serena thankfully heard the cry of the other trainer nearby as she was amidst another brawl with other Primids. The sound sent her into a brief panic as she left Greninja to the battle and dashed towards him as she called out his name. The heel of her sneaker collided with the Primid's face, knocking it into the floor and releasing Red from its grip. The Primid was quick to recover, however, as it knelt and prepared to spew a column of fire at the unsuspecting trainer. who's defenses were left open as she helped Red stand up.

Before the pyre escaped from the Primid's mouth and caused an unwanted tragedy, a blue orb of fire raining down from the heavens crashed into it, exploding and disintegrating it on impact. The fires scattered everywhere, but it didn't burn the trainers when it had graced their sleeves. Rather, it was warm and caressing to them, which was strange to feel as the scrambled flames severely injured the enemies that dare come in contact with it. The storm clouds cleared only for a time where the hotel was vaguely visibly in its entirety, and from the broken suite window slowly descended a figure cloaked in the blue flames seen earlier in the attack. Red had immediately recognized the figure as Lucario to his utter relief.

"_What the fuck_," Serena simply exclaimed, baffled by the entire situation.

The Primids were apparently just as amazed as they stood frozen, staring upon the descending Pokemon. When he had finally landed on the earth, his fury was clearly proven as he began to relentlessly attack, slaughtering any evil presence with an Aura Blast. He showed no mercy whatsoever as each blast of fire disintegrated a bulk of the attacking enemies. Unfortunately, the amount of Primids seemed to double as more were cleared away, and Lucario soon realized that the trainers were left defenseless.

The other Pokemon seemed to have the same thoughts. When Squirtle and Ivysaur recovered, they joined with Greninja, who had recently struck down multiple Primids, and Lucario as they encircled themselves around Serena and Red, forming a protective barrier. One after another, Primids attempted to advance and attack, but each blast of water and fire kept them at bay. The process repeated until the enemies, recognizing the futility of their efforts, temporarily pulling back and giving the defendants some space. For a moment, the Pokemon relaxed, hoping that the worst of the fight was over, but the buzz of unearthly chatter rang within the crowds of withdrawn Primids, ascending into a forte as time passed. The buzz was soon paired with giant footsteps that shook the earth, almost throwing the wall of Pokemon off balance. The footsteps grew louder and the trembling of the pavement only became more frequent and massive.

A colossal Primid that seemed to be bigger than the tallest skyscraper in Celadon trampled out of the fog, it large red eyes staring right at Serena and Red.

"W-What is that thing?" Serena squeaked, the panic seeping through her voice. Red only stared in hateful horror.

The Pokemon were just as much terrified as their human owners, but only Lucario remained calm. "_I've seen worse_," he simply stated, "_but it's nothing that you all could handle, especially since the burden of you two being defenseless will wear us down_." Red had only just noticed the yellowed envelope in the Pokemon's hand, the red wax remaining unbroken. With his free palm, he ripped off the seal. "_We have to retreat_."

"Lucario, don't-!" Recognizing what he was about to do, Red had lurched forward in attempt to grab the seal from the Pokemon, but he had already threw it onto the ground. Upon impact, the seal released an explosion of blue light that enveloped the entire group, the Giant Primid and Celadon City fading from their sight. When the light dispersed, he landed face first into warm green grass.

"What is wrong with you?!" He barked as he lifted himself off the greenery and grabbed hold of the Pokemon. "We left the people there with the Primids! Do you know how selfish that is?! They could all die because we left them!"

Serena sat on the grass nearby, her clothes and hair drenched, and was visibly shaking. "M-Mom… everyone…!" Serena choked, tears beginning to stream down her face. "They're going to get hurt because of those… monsters!" She clutched herself as Greninja hopped over to her side, nuzzling his head into her arm.

"_I had no choice_," Lucario affirmed, gesturing his head over to the girl. "_The safety of the Smashers and their guardians is of the utmost importance. If we had stayed a moment longer, you would've been killed_."

"And what about the people of Celadon?! What about everyone else?!"

"_We must ponder that for another time_." He turned his head the other direction and gazed into the distance. "_For now, we all have to recollect and think of another plan. _All _of us. That is why we are here, are we not?_"

Red's eyes trailed across the landscape, his hands slowly lowered to his sides. A bright sun graced the sky with a comforting sort of warmth, putting into perspective just how freezing he was from the storm that they had just experiences. Miles upon miles of hills covered in lush green grass encircled the area, stretching into a faraway forest. Shrubbery and trees dotted the scene, and swayed gently in a refreshing wind. He turned his head towards the direction that Lucario was facing and gasped, immediately recognizing why this particular location was important for them to be at. Even Serena had stopped crying to look at the faraway object with wonder.

There in the distance sat a magnificent castle neighboring a massive stadium made of concrete and marble. The castle almost seemed to gleam in the afternoon sun, it's towers almost touching the sky itself. A long flag waved on its highest column, a red circle with an uneven cross embedded into its fabrics.

Squirtle and Ivysaur ran into the grass and towards the palace in utter glee, forgetting about their troubles for a brief period.

"Smash Mansion…" Red whispered, his voice carried in the breeze.

* * *

**_Author's Note: HOO BOY I am ultra late on this wow. _**

**_Really though I'm SO sorry for silence for like 2 weeks, I got swamped at work and after that timed write I did I was dead on ideas and inspiration for this chapter. (I did get a B on that timed write tho!) Idk why but I totally get writer's block when writing the Pokemon people, which sucks 'cause Serena and Red are prominent characters in the story, so more suffering for me yay. Hopefully that'll change in the future. Maybe I just need to work on their characters more lol_**

**_Are you guys having a good holiday so far? I'd love to hear about it from you! I'm thankful for actually being able to do stuff without school eating up my time the entirety of my year. I got to go to Little Tokyo with old high school friends and I'm going again this Friday! What y'all been up to?_**

**_Lemme know if you find any mistakes or what not! Poor Jin only got to edit about half of the chapter so it's pretty much raw right now. Always up for criticism! And thank you to whoever reviewed and followed the story so far, it really makes my day when I see those messages. What smart readers I have too, you guys ask some good questions! Which I won't answer atm for asshole suspense reasons :)_**

**_Hope you guys enjoy! Please review too!_**


	5. Bel Canto - Zelda

It happened all too quickly for Zelda. The only way to describe it was as if a warm, bright candle was blown out at soon as it graced its light to the world with a breeze - nay, a tornado - that had the presence of pure ice.

There she stood at the castle gates with Link and luggage in tow, the sun barely grazing the horizon in a warm light that enveloped the two of them. The entire situation was relaxing, she felt. Even the cold chambers of the stone castle were comforting for once in her life. The sun opened its arms to her in a tight embrace, the trees seemed to wave as she passed by the gardens, and Link, dressed in the earth itself, bore a smile that would even melt the most frozen of hearts. That's what she liked about him the most; it wasn't the complete mesmerization of his chilling blue eyes, neither his soft, golden hair that gleamed in every source of light like fine silk nor his cute blushing cheeks whenever they saw each other. Admittedly, she wasn't one to mention the faint flutter in her heart whenever she laid eyes on him. She never was the kind of person to be courageous, anyway, in her opinion.

She was lost in the very warmth of his smile when the explosion sounded across Hyrule and the horrid monsters that were Primids returned into their lives once again.

It was ironic, Zelda thought to herself as she ran down the halls to the outdoors and into battle for the umpteenth time, that the Primids return with their malice once again as the queen and hero were leaving for the very tournament where they had last seen them. For once, she had assumed that she could have a peaceful time, if only for a little while, with her friends and loved ones, but it seemed that Fate was never kind to the Queen of Hyrule. It felt like she was running a mile for every breath that passed through her lips, traveling from war rooms to supply centers to soldier bunkers to the very center of the action where the brave men of her army fought. Link was there as well, but she had yet to see him in the midst of battle. She silently prayed to the goddesses for his safety.

At the current point of time, she was to join the soldiers in the frontlines, as it was her self-appointed responsibility to protect her country herself, despite the protests of her multiple advisors. The bulk of the battle was currently taking place in the part of Hyrule Field that occupied the backyard of her castle. Thankfully, Castle Town was relatively untouched at the moment, but she didn't know how long that peace would last. She heard nothing from Kakariko or Ordon, but it was safe to assume that they were under attack as well, and was hasty to send groups of militia to aid them in whatever way they could. Whatever happened, however, Zelda was only one woman and could only be at one place at one given time, and it seemed the most crucial for her to fight the monsters that were closest to the castle. If Hyrule Castle were to fall, then the rest of the country would follow suit. And as she found herself entering the dry fields that were filled with fire and bloodshed, she knew that she made the right choice to stay here.

It was unfortunate to see Hyrule Field in such disarray again after recovering so splendidly from Zant's invasion. Every soldier was paired with an enemy as they were locked in battle, but it had seemed that the Primids had vastly outnumbered her army as the death toll increased. They all fought with a strange sort of passion that was admirable but futile for the most part. Red Primids were wandering the grasses and setting the green on fire for no clear reason other to cause destruction of the natural setting. Spaaks soared the skies, zapping lamentable soldiers who had managed to survive the physical onslaught of the ground adversaries. From atop of the distant hills, Scope Primids shot down wandering soldiers. Bodies rapidly hit the floor and the dirt was stained with blood and the flood of Dark Matter.

Zelda refused to hesitate any longer. With the start of a dash, she jumped and twirled in the air, magical ribbons flowing from her hands and around her being as she disappeared in a flurry. She reappeared in the center of battle, causing damage to the surrounding enemies and knocking them back. Without a moment's pause, she twirled again, this time forming a blue shield of crystal that danced around herself, repelling the sudden onslaught of alarmed Primids as she spun on her heels. As the shield of Nayru's Love disappeared, she grabbed hold of another stray Primid with a magic hand, swirling her gloved palms around its being as sparks of magic flew around. When she was satisfied with the amount of damage that was given, she tossed aside the Primid like a rag doll and collided into a group of its other brethren. They charged at her once again, but with a twist of her heel, she teleported again and touched down on another area in the distance, sending the ground enemies flying once again. A lone Spaak noticed the plight and whizzed over to her location, firing lightning bolts in her direction, but she was quick to dispatch them via a shot of Din's Fire. The Spaak fizzled out of existence, a trail of purple dust sifting i the smoking wind.

She continued to teleport on multiple occasions, traveling throughout the battlefield and making contact with the earth for only a second to inflict harm onto the enemies. Many a soldier had come in contact with the ribbons of Farore's WInd, but hadn't been been given a scratched. She quickly thanked the goddesses for her rigorous training that allowed her magic to only harm evil entities.

Among her various movement across Hyrule Field, she had managed to spot a blur of green in between her teleports. She ceased her traveling and saw the person cloaked in green dart across the area, cutting down each enemy that dare come in contact with him. The subtle of blond hair confirmed that it was indeed Link fighting on the front lines. She was quick to dash over to him, emitting a Lightning Kick to a Primid that had managed to slip by his sword. The regrettable being went flying and dissolved into Shadow Bugs before it even touched the ground.

Link sighed as he slashed away another Primid, fully aware of her presence while being downright irritated. "Honestly, Zel, aren't you ever gonna listen to me?" he quipped. "I told you it's too dangerous to be out here." There was less anger and more disappointment in his voice than anything, which struck a chord in Zelda's mind.

"Will you not ever learn as well, dear Link - " her sparking hand struck down another enemy, "-that I am no idle damsel?" In a brief moment of rest, she glanced over her shoulder and into his eyes, scorning him with a cold gaze. "It is unfortunate that I have been held hostage a number of times, but I certainly retain the knowledge to accordingly battle efficiently. I have a responsibility to protect my people, after all."

Link gulped, clearly aware of her quiet anger. "Sorry, Zelda, I just worry a lot for you. You take on too much."

"Link, I mean this in the kindest of manners-it is none of your concern how I handle my kingdom." She admittedly felt a surge of content for saying that: Zelda was never one to honestly say what was on her mind, especially around the people that dwell in the castle. With Link, however, it was as if multiple doors in her mind's eye were struck down and a flood of constrained words can finally leave her lips. It didn't help that she was callous in the midst of battle, and certainly didn't help her tone.

He only smirked in return. "Yow, looks like the cat has her claws out."

"Only appropriate at the given time. I do detest that these _mice_ invade my kingdom."

"Then allow me to be your best mutt in helping you get rid of them." He playfully bowed. "Stand back for a second." When she did just that, he unleashed a spin of his blade to repel the Primids that had managed to close in on their location during their discussion.

Zelda smiled, and they were at it again. It was like a hypnotic dance that they shared, rotating around each other and guarding each other's backs like they were cogs in a clockwork, always moving and relying on the other part of the system. They alternated between each other, one emitting a cluster of magic from her palms that zapped away the enemies, the other destroying whatever remained with a gleaming sword of silver light. For every adversary that went down, more took its place, but it was never worrisome for the duo. The onlooking soldiers viewed their ruler in amazed respect as she fended off the monsters with ease, raising their morale as they fought with more passionate vigor in the name of their queen. As the battle progressed, the assumption that they might reach victory weaved its way through the army. After all, with their ruler by their side, it wouldn't be any surprise that they would win.

It still was true that the Subspace Army was vastly growing in numbers to an almost overwhelming extent, but Link was confident in both Zelda's and his own abilities. It had been a while since he had fought so rigorously, but it was like a refreshing breath of air being able to flex his old fighting muscles against enemies that he had despised for the longest time. Everything seemed to blur by as each Primid was cut down with his trusty sword like mere flies. While others might have assumed that the sheer amount of numbers would be staggering to be up against by oneself, but it was almost effortless for the young hero to withstand the astounding mob.

A splash of red that traced his line of sight broke his concentration, and he couldn't help but follow its path. He recognized the fire-like stain as hair when it had stopped moving, belonging to a tall woman who faced away from his sight. She didn't bother to look back at him, only extending a pale hand in his direction the color of frozen ashes, but a twang of familiarity racked his brain at the sight. It was almost as if…

He shook his head, discarding the thought. No, it couldn't have been her, it was impossible for it to be. Nonetheless, he still felt curious, and as the woman with hair like flames beckoned for his attention, he felt obligated to follow. Amongst the crowd of Primids, the woman ran away, the fire in her hair trailing away from behind. Link was quick to follow along, despite the faded voice from behind him calling his name and attention. He heaved and gasped, picking up his running speed to catch up, but it constantly seemed that the woman was just out of reach. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but he swore that he saw her hair flicker to a much deeper, scarlet red that was silky and sleek, but as soon as the notion crossed his mind, it morphed back to orange waves, as if nothing happened.

In the blink of an eye, the woman disappeared as if she never existed. Link skid to a stop, frantically looking around the battlefield to see her again, only to find himself surrounded by more Primids. Instead of reacting and attacking, however, they carried on the tasks that they were previously doing, completely ignoring the hero. In confusion, he glanced around the area again until his eyes spotted a lone figure sitting in the grass, staring off into nothingness. A girl, Link noted, with short, ashen blond hair the color of fine sand. Her green eyes, once filled with joy and wonder, were blank and lifeless.

"Ilia…" Link breathed, sliding past the Primids and rushing to her side. His knees slid onto the dry grass and bit into his skin, but the pain had no effect on him. "Ilia," he began, shaking her shoulder, "what are you doing here? It's not safe here." His voice was gentle but strung with concern. She wasn't supposed to be here, she was supposed to be in Ordon Village, away from harm and the hellish nature that were the Primids.

She never made eye contact. "It's not safe anywhere… I will never be safe..." she muttered, her voice void of any expression.

"What are you saying…?"

"What ever happened to my knight in shining armor, Link? Weren't you supposed to be him?" She raised her head and looked at him, but it was if she was staring into air. She turned her gaze back into the grass. "Why didn't you protect me, Link?"

Link was taken aback, unable to find any words. "I'm never safe now," she continued. "I'll never be because you couldn't save me."

"I-I did! I saved you and the other children, remember? It took you some time to recover, but-"

"You didn't protect me." Her voice grew dark, and her limp hand shot for his throat. It didn't quite register for Link until he wasn't able to breathe, her grip having so much force that he felt like his neck could break. With an unknown strength beyond what he could imagine out of her, she lifted him off the floor as she slowly stood up, her face obscured in shadow.

"How do you plan to protect Zelda if you can't even protect yourself?" she questioned, as if the words she spoke weren't her own. "Some Hero of the Goddesses. You deserve the worst of deaths." As he choked and gasped for air, her other hand unsheathed a black dagger from behind her, poised to kill.

Link closed his eyes, the last of his breath fading away, when a cry from a young boy and the twang of a bow rang in the air. Ilia's grip loosened and he collapsed to the earth below, writhing and gasping for air. Beside him laid a lone Primid that had begun to dissolve into dark matter with a glowing blue arrow sticking out of its side. A flash of golden light exploded in his peripherals, a golden woman clothed in white with mint hair gliding across the battlefield.

"Heyyy, Link! This is no time to be laying on the ground!" a voice belonging to a boy out of his line of vision chastised. He felt a pair of thin arms lift him upwards. When he turned his head to look at the person who helped him, he spotted a mop of brown hair and a grin plastered on the face of a young, cheeky boy that he hadn't seen in ages. White wings emerged from his backside.

"Pit…!" Link croaked in between breaths. "W-Why… where's… where's Ilia?"

"Ilia?" Pit questioned, furrowing his brows. "I don't know who that is, but you need to watch yourself, man! That Primid could've choked you to death if I didn't step in and shoot it down!"

"Primid…?" He had no time to question himself, as Zelda seemed to have managed to emerge out of the crowds of enemies behind them.

"Link!" she cried as she knelt to his side, helping Pit in having him stand up. "Why did you stray? You had dashed off somewhere and I had a difficult time following you and-" She then realized who the other boy was. "... Pit? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Zel! Sorry if I came so suddenly, but Lady Palutena wanted to stop by. She sensed something going on down here and wanted to get you guys before we headed to Smash Mansion." He then pointed to the glowing woman in white Link saw earlier, who was currently fending off multiple Primids with staff and shield. She momentarily turned to the group and waved her hand with a gentle smile while brutally striking down another enemy with her staff.

"Incredible…" Zelda responded, exasperated by the image.

"I'll be back in a bit, someone's gotta take down these Primids!" With a raise of his bow, Pit ran off, firing blue arrows at any who dared oppose him in the area, giving the Hylians room to recover and discuss the circumstances without any bothers. When Link was able to stand and breathe properly, Zelda began pestering him with questions as to why he ran off so suddenly.

"I thought I saw… I thought…" Link tried to process his words correctly. "Someone was running through the battlefield, then I saw Ilia, but then it _wasn't _her. She tried to kill me and… Pit had said it was a Primid, though."

"A Primid? Are you certain you saw the village girl?" Zelda inquired, tilting her face in concern.

"I don't know what I saw, really…" Link remained silent.

Zelda pondered about the person he saw beforehand, her index finger resting on her chin in thought. "Who _did_ you chase after?" she asked, silently deducing that the person he chased and the person he met were two different people.

"I don't know, but... " he paused, refusing to make eye contact, "She had long red hair like… like _hers_."

"That is…" She knew exactly what he was talking about, and it was apparent in how her eyes widened like dinner plates in realization. Now it was her turn to be lost for words for a while, trying to piece together what outcome could possibly explain this happening. "...That is impossible, you are aware of that, correct? The Mirror had been shattered beyond repair a long time now."

"I know, but I don't know anyone else who has that kind of hair!" Link snapped, meeting her eyes only temporarily. He huffed, and found interest in the earth beneath him yet again.

Her response was only an understanding hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you have become exhausted from the battle… it has been concurring for the better part of the day."

"Maybe…" She could tell that he was still bothered by what happened, the thought of a friend long passed trailing his mind as plainly as the nose on his face. However, just as she was about to ask more questions, Pit and the woman in white - Lady Palutena, she remembered - had drifted over to their location, the boy's usual sunny face uncharacteristically grim.

"So I think your soldiers are good now," he told. "We did some cleanup, but you guys did a pretty good job taking care of the bulk of them." Zelda nodded her head in silent gratitude. "But… you guys still need to come with us. We need to get out of here as soon as possible and group up with all the other Smashers."

"Why do we need to do that?" Link asked, unconvinced.

"Because you're not the only ones being attacked here," Palutena spoke up, her voice like silk but laced with an obvious tone of irritation. She was clearly a goddess in the way her chin was upturned, but seemed to view everyone from under her nose. "The Mushroom Kingdom, Kanto and the other Pokemon regions, Altea… my All-Seeing Eye has seen it all. Everyone is under simultaneous siege as we speak."

"Lady Palutena can warp us to Smash Mansion, too! You won't need your invitations or anything, plus I'm sure that your army can fend off the rest of them for now," Pit chirped.

Zelda remained silent, contemplating the situation. It would be easier to go to Smash Mansion in complete safety, with no Subspace in tow. However, she knew herself that she had people to attend to - her subjects, the Hylians. "If it is alright with you all, I shall stay here for the moment. It is my responsibility to look over the battle, at least in this point of time," she turned her head to glance at throes of war, "I intend to join you all later at the mansion."

"That's understandable," Palutena replied. She smiled at the queen. "I've seen your journey and the sacrifices that you've made for your kingdom. I must admit, it's an honorable trait that you have. You don't really see rulers who care for their kingdom as much as you do." Zelda had almost bitterly responded with how high and mighty she seemed to be around Pit - a clear indication of how she must've been bored and irritated at her own subjects, but she whispered not a word.

Zelda returned the smile and gave her a slight bow. "You have my sincerest gratitude for milady's kind words." She wasn't sure what position she held for Pit to constantly refer to her as "Lady Palutena," but her towering presence and golden air did indicate that of a high status. She was not one to offend, after all.

"Great, lemme just get some red potion and I'll be back on the battlefield in no time-" Link was ready to jump back into the brawl and continue fighting, but Zelda was quick to deny this.

"And if it is allowed in milady's good graces, I would like for you to permit Link to accompany you to the establishment," Zelda cut off in a deadpan, tossing an accusatory look toward Link.

"Wha- Zel, there's no way I'm leaving you here," The green-clad knight objected, crossing his arms.

Her own gaze grew stern, as if she were a mother berating her child. "You are injured and in no condition to fight," she chastised, referring to the unnaturally growing bruise on his throat. "I will not allow you to further cripple yourself for my sake. Not to mention that they need you more at Smash Mansion with the rest of the company, as you are one of their most important subjects."

"But, Zelda, please-"

"And may I remind you once again that I am no helpless maiden that is to rely on the might of others to carry on my own tasks and duties." She frowned. In the background of their conversation, Pit snickered loudly. "This is the second instance today that I had to emphasize this. Do you honestly not trust me?"

He was quick to gently grab her shoulders in an attempt to reassure his motives. "I do, I promise. You're one of the strongest people I know. I just don't want anything to happen to you. I couldn't bear it if something did."

Her heart fluttered again at his touch and his pleading blue eyes, and her hard, wartime exterior cracked for a moment. "I do appreciate your concern, truly, but I will not allow anything to happen. You have done your duty tremendously so far, but you do not need to protect me every instant."

"Then promise me that you'll take care of yourself." He held up his left pinkie finger close to her face.

She sighed. "Link, that is not necessary-"

"It's the best way to ensure it, for me. Promise?" He moved the pinkie closer. The childish action slightly baffled her, but she eventually broke down and linked her own gloved pinkie with his.

"C'mon, lovebirds, we don't have all day," Palutena chimed, smirking at the scene before her.

The Hylians simultaneously became flushed with embarrassment. "T-That's not-" Link began, but the glowing woman merely held up her hand to silence him and gestured for him to join her at her side. After saying their goodbyes to each other, Link stood beside Pit, who made a comment about their gross mushiness under his breath. Palutena raised her staff into the air, causing a shower of light to rain down on them and wink them out of existence.

The rest of Zelda's time blurred by, as day turned into night in the blink of an eye. She stayed battling for a mere while longer, but found herself eventually retreating back into one of Hyrule Castle's war rooms to discuss strategy. As the last parts of dusk faded away into the horizon, she felt that the current point in time was the right moment to leave, as they still needed her over at Smash Mansion and was put in more danger the longer she stayed. When the stars finally graced themselves in the night sky after the fires of Hyrule Field had cleared, she entrusted the most skilled of her advisors in charge while she was away. The queen bid farewell to her soldiers and wished them the greatest of luck, leaving behind her people for an amount of time she wasn't quite sure of.

As she glided down the hallowed halls of her castle, she couldn't help but feel as if it were the last time she would view the cold stone floors and halls that had been her home in her entire life. They may have been reconstructed before, and she may have hated being here, as well as anticipating the journey to the tournament, but the odd feeling wouldn't falter as she continued her path. Before reaching her study, where their invitations were left, she glanced at a portrait of her father, long passed away, with a woman that bore a striking resemblance to her own features. She couldn't help but stare at it for a time, lightly stroking the rough texture of the painted canvas, before reaquiring her focus and entering her private study.

The invitations sat on her desk, untouched since she had placed it there upon the Subspace Army's invasion. She grabbed the first one she saw, unaware of the charcoal name etched on the back that was not her own, and quickly ripped off the red seal that she took care in not breaking before. Remembering how the teleport system worked on this particular device, she threw the seal onto the ground, waiting for a response.

Strangely enough, the seal didn't react immediately as it had before and remained stationary on the stone floor. Zelda leaned over to examine it, wondering if it had malfunctioned, before it emitted sparks of light that she was unfamiliar viewing previously. It almost seemed to explode inside the small study, the lashes of electricity or magic slashing against her skin in anguish. She cried in pain upon contact of the energy. Soon, the entire room was enveloped in the irregular light, quickly dissipating until the queen was no where to be found.

Before, the warp process was immediate, but Zelda felt as if she was falling through a tunnel of light this time, unaware of what path she was heading down and what destination she was heading. The overwhelming teleportation lasted only briefly and soon made harsh contact with solid ground. When she opened her eyes, however, she had not landed on the welcoming green plains that were at the outskirts of Smash Mansion, but rather a myriad of colorful pavement that she was unfamiliar with. She raised her head and shrieked, jumping away from her current position.

Several small creatures that looked like oversized star-shaped cushions had gathered around her presence, bickering amongst themselves in confusion. Each were uniquely colored so that there was a good representation of every bright color on the spectrum. They had small black eyes and stubby limbs, to which Zelda would strangely find adorable if she weren't so terrified of their sudden appearance at the given moment. She hesitated to attack, for they seemed stagnant and harmless, but she was prepared with a raised hand just in case. She quickly looked around her surroundings, to which her eyes met the stars that have been so far away from her since she was a child. A pillaring tower that belonged to the structure grazed the sky, endless lights and colors decorating its shaft. Below it was a station of sorts, closest to Zelda's location, that held a burning orb of pyre in its center. More of the small star creatures were wandering through its bridges, observing the ball of fire's radiating warmth. A few peninsulas plastered to the sides of the structure were home to patches of fresh grass and flowers, along a few oddly shaped cottages. One cottage with a peculiar red shape seemed strikingly familiar to the queen, a memory of the mushrooms that changed your size in the tournament striking her conscience.

Zelda was so distracted by her new environment that she hadn't noticed the sea of star creatures split in two, creating a path for someone to walk, or float in this case, through.

"My my, I wasn't expecting visitors anytime soon," a gentle voice chided, which made Zelda jump once more. The owner of the voice, to Zelda's utter amazement, was a young woman that towered over her self without so much as touching the ground. Her long, turquoise robes shimmered and shined in the faint light of the skies, glittered star shapes lining the fabric that billowed out around her. A silver crown was daintily placed at the tip of her head, and golden earrings shimmered like the stars itself. Her long, platinum blonde hair had hidden her right eye, but the one that was present was a piercing teal that seemed to hold the universe itself in it, as well as an infinite wisdom that would even challenge the all-knowing Queen of Hyrule.

"Don't be shy, dear, you will not be harmed here," the woman spoke again as she extended a pale hand to the fallen Hylian. "I'll promise that my children will be on their best behavior. I am Rosalina, and you are gladly welcomed to my humble abode."

* * *

_**Author's Notes - "this is the shortest chapter i have on here" i say as i make the chapter just shy of 5,000 words**_

_**HELLO DARLINGS I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Lemme start off the year with some Zelda stuff! BECAUSE BOTH THE GAMES AND THE PRINCESS ARE IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. I have such a bias towards Zeld her so much like y'all have no idea. Also I'm sick of fans treating her badly in fan stuff treaT THIS WOMAN LIKE THE MOTHERF*CKING GODDESS THAT SHE IS! BECAUSE SHE DESERVES IT!**_

**_Also I think this has been my best written chapter so far - at least according to the wonderful goddess Jin - within reason because hot damn I love writing Zelda. Idk why but I totally understand her character? I've done a lot of in-depth analysis of her so it would make sense actually. She deserves only the best, of course._**

**_(Also also I would like to point out that the Hylians (Link) are unfortunately going to be the main punching bags of the story besides the obvs main characters lololol)_**

**_So we've had a few perspective changes, right? Who do you guys think is gonna be the focus of the next chapter? I won't give any hints, but it'll be fun to see you guys guess at it 8) Lemme know in those cute reviews of yours!_**

**_Hope you enjoyed! Please review!_**


	6. Movement I - Robin

_**Author's note: PUTTING THIS HERE TO GET YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS REAL QUICK:**_

**_Unfortunately, I am in need of a new temporary beta editor, hence why this chapter took so long to write, among other things. I won't go into details, but Jin will be unable to edit for a long time, so I'll need someone to take her place and keep this story going, instead of it being continuously raw like this chapter orz_**

**_Basically, being the beta editor is reading through the raw chapter I write and editing it before I post it to the public. You edit sentences, grammar, spelling, small plot-related things I forget to put in, and sometimes help establish plot that has yet to be clarified. I'm not a perfect writer, as you all can tell, and I almost never catch my own mistakes, so I need another set of eyes to fix stuff that I don't notice, otherwise the quality of the story will go down tremendously, and I don't think that you guys deserve that! I want to be able to give you the best story I can, and if I need a little help to do that, then so be it!_**

**_You'll need to be able to give me your Skype contact information, as well as access to Google Docs. I don't have a means to schedule when I write/post chapters, since I'm seriously so busy, so you'll need to be able to edit on short-notice, as I want the chapter to be posted as soon as possible when it's done!_**

**_If you're interested, please send me a PM as well as an example of your writing, in case there are multiple people interested. If that does happen, I'll choose the new beta and get you started as soon as possible! Thank you all in advance!_**

**_AIGHT SORRY FOR KEEPING YOU ONTO THE SHOW_**

* * *

The small boat rocked and creak in rhythm to Shulk's stomach, much to his chagrin, and felt like he would keel over any second from the nausea. He wasn't one to really travel by sea, nor had he really done so in his own adventures thus far, and preferred roaming the open world with his own two feet, but he didn't have much of a choice in travel when it came to the small island off the coast of the continent that hosted the Outrealm Gate. Reluctantly, he sat among the churning waves, desperate to hold back the lunch in his stomach that threatened to release itself back into the world in the most unpleasant of ways.

Robin faced opposite of him, rowing the boat among the path to the their destination, yet showed no sign of recognizing his plight. He assumed that she was so concentrated on her own thoughts that she bore almost no acknowledgement of her surroundings, save for the Outrealm Gate and what lied beyond there. Earlier, when they had come across the abandoned port and boat off the coast of Ylisse after days of endless, tiresome treacking through the country, he had insisted on rowing, wanting to give her a break, but she was stubborn and lead the party into the waters that led to the Gate. Now in hindsight, he was thankful for it, as he wouldn't be able to steer with his sea sickness. Regardless, however, he still felt a twinge of concern for the tactician. Robin had barely spoken a word throughout their journey thus far, save for the occasional food break where Shulk had attempted to strike idle conversations, to which she replied with mere grunts. He knew why she was so silent, so completely thought-stricken that she wouldn't even speak, and he wholeheartedly understood her reasons why, truly, despite her not mentioning why. Yet the tug on his heart bore witness to the guilt that he felt of the situation. This was a complete stranger before him, one that he barely knew and had only met through the tide of battle and the visions of the future. He had no right to pry on her personal life, even if it was her call to action for the entire situation. But when he viewed her puzzled face and recalled her fear and anger over the ever-present threat of losing a loved one, he couldn't help but sympathize at the familiar feeling.

He didn't care if his stomach felt like exploding, the silence was killing him. "So how long is it gonna be 'til we get there…?" he asked, though it sounded more like a groan than anything.

Robin had finally broken herself from her mind's grip and noticed the boy opposite of her. "Oh, uh…" she took a moment to correct her thoughts again, "As soon as it arrives on the horizon, which shouldn't be long." She raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright? You seem a bit queasy there."

"Perfectly dandy. I just prefer travelling on foot t'is all." He lurched yet again, leaning over his knees and meeting face to face with the wet floor of the wooden craft.

"Keep your head up. If you lean over like that, you won't be able to keep everything in. Here-" She rose from her rowing position, the boat ceasing its course, and helped Shulk sit upright again, leaning him against the rim of the boat and raising his head to the sky. Amongst his nausea, he peered up at the clear blue sky, a refreshing feature after experiencing the days of smoky haze that originated from the burning Ylisstol.

"Thanks," he muttered, keeping his head skyward. It really did help his sickness, despite the constant motion of the waves continuing to rock the boat. He could feel the warm, motherly tone of her voice arise, as well as the gentle hands that assisted him, like she was handling a baby.

"It's no problem." She smiled for the first time since they left the capital. "I've been there before, trust me. The first time I went on the water, on the way to Valm, I was so nauseous I could barely stand at first. And it wasn't good for the situation, considering that I was supposed to lead a whole naval fleet alongside Chrom. My sister, Lissa… the girl that you had met earlier? She taught me that trick." A thin smile crossed her face as she thought happily at the memory, returning to her own seat and picking up the oars again.

"You're used to it, then? The sea sickness."

"I've had many a voyage across the world in the past few years." Her expression turned grim again as she ceased rowing. "I had… some business to take care of. A person the kingdom… I mean, _I _was searching for."

Shulk didn't bother pressing on the issue. He could tell by the look on her face that the subject wasn't something she liked to talk about. The boat remained silent for a bit, with only the churning of the waves sounding in the background.

Robin spoke again. "Shulk… I'm sorry if I came across as cold for a bit. We didn't necessarily meet in the best of circumstances, and you must understand that the past few days have been rather difficult on me." Her warm, motherly smile graced her face again. "I promise you, I'm a much friendlier person that what you what might think."

"There's no need to apologize, ma'am," Shulk quickly interrupted, ready to raise his hands in defense before realizing that he would probably fall over if he moved. "I understand that, really." He sighed, immobilized by his sickness as he glanced at her from the corner of his vision. "Honestly, though… I could really tell that you care a lot about your people and your family." He paused for a moment, struggling to find the right words. "Whoever started all of this and took your husband will be wishing that they didn't mess with you."

She chuckled at the comment. "Thank you for understanding. And you can call me Robin, you know. 'Ma'am' just makes me feel old." She looked over her shoulder and scanned the waters, to which she saw a distant shadow of land emerge from the horizon. "Looks like we're almost there. Hold on tight for just a bit more, we'll be hitting shore soon."

The shadow, which appeared to be a small island as they approached it, was barren and rimmed with multiple cliffs that towered above the seas. Nothing was particularly notable about the island until, upon closer inspection, Shulk noticed the humongous stone gateway that sat on the highest plateau of land and emitted an ethereal blue light from its entrance that was unfamiliar to his prior knowledge. Wooden doors that were as tall as the gate itself were spread open, allowing the light into the outside world.

When they had reached the thin shore of the island, he dashed for land, tripping out of the boat and slamming his body into the soft, warm sand. It didn't even hurt him, as far as he noticed, because all he cared about at the time was the sweet bliss of feeling solid ground as his nausea slipped away.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked as she hurried out of the boat, being mindful of her steps after seeing Shulk fall. The only response was a muffled groan of euphoria concealed by the sand. She helped him onto his feet, rolling her eyes during the process and pointing a slender finger towards the sleep wall of rock that stood before them in gesture. A thin, hairline path plastered on the cliffs seemed to be the only plausible way of getting onto the plateau.

"Reminds me of old times…" she mused wistfully, before stepping forward and making her way towards the cliff. Shulk was shaking off the last bit of sea sickness, but was so mesmerised by the sheer imposing power of the cliff that he couldn't find himself to move forward. Robin eventually called im over, breaking him out of his trance and throwing him into a run to catch up with her. The stone was smooth, but they had to press their backs firmly against the wall as much as they were able to in order to fit onto the tiny path, their feet rarely breaking contact with the floor as they shifted themselves up the cliff. It was at least a half-hour of sliding, shifting, crawling their way up, rinse and repeat, with the occasional misplaced foot thrown in. Shulk recalled the knight, Frederick, with his bulky armor and almost laughed out loud at the thought of him shuffling up the pathway.

Time passed until Robin was able to reach her hand to the cliff's edge. By then, they were unspeakably high up, a height to which Shulk hadn't quite initially assumed for the cliff to be. After some more shifting and shuffling, she was able to lift her head over the edge and was at an adequate position to pull herself up onto the plateau. He was ready to follow along, before she gasped sharply and quickly raised her hand for him to stop.

"Look 'ere, guess they was right about spotting that boat off the shore!" A gruff, accented voice cackled. It was then that Shulk noticed the multiple spears pointed at Robin's throat that gleamed in the sun.

"The bosses'll be proud'a us 'ere, our squad capturing some enemies tryin' to invade the Outrealm Gate! You're comin' with us, lady!" A dirty hand had seized her by the arm and pulled her up onto the hidden surface of the plateau.

"You too, kid!" Shulk suddenly felt a yank from his collar as he was lifted from his position by the back of his jacket. Before he had any time to react, he was thrown onto the dusty plain of the ground, colliding his face into the earth for the second time that day. When he had recovered, he found himself and Robin surrounded by soldiers in red and gold cloth, their weapons pointed straight at them.

Shulk grabbed for the Monado, as the soldiers were nothing that he couldn't handle, but Robin halted his movement. "Don't do anything," she whispered. "They're Plegians, and by the looks of it, there will be more where they came from."

A soldier with a more ornate helmet - the captain, Shulk deduced - belted a hoarse, deep laugh. "What'ya have 'ere, eh? Thought'a couple of punks could sneak into'a Outrealm Gate, right? Ya thought wrong, the Plegian army's been keepin' this 'ere island safe from thieves like you while the Merchant's out."

"I would like to speak with your commander," Robin demanded, her voice firm.

"Oh, we'll take ya there, alright... in chains!" He cackled again, this time the rest of the squadron joining in. "They'll find'a nice n' good punishment for you. Get these hooligans bound up, n' confiscate them weapons, 'specially the freaky red one!" The Monado was ripped from Shulk's back, and he soon found his hands tied together with a crude sort of rope. Robin was in a similar state, her weapons and supplies taken away, but she remained calm in a sort of serene, mute focus. He was really hoping that she was coming up with a plan or something that a tactician would come up with at the time.

With a holler from the captain, the soldiers hurried into formation, surrounding the two intruders on all sides in a box-shape. Another holler was sounded, and the soldiers began moving as a unit, rigid and upright, a sight Robin was not quite familiar with. She recalled the skill and brutality of the Plegian army when they were at war, but they were never as disciplined as they were now. Many a times were they confused with mere bandits by the way they carried themselves. While it wasn't good for her current situation, it was rather relieving to see the Plegians functions so well, especially after the horrors that they experienced with Gangrel and Validar leading their nation.

If wasn't after marching through countless hills and dry earth and closer to the towering gates of the Outrealms did they come across the rest of the army, to which Robin's previous thoughts about the Plegians were confirmed. Their large tents were lined across the empty plain in a terrifyingly organized fashion, where soldiers by the hundreds were constantly cycling through them and about the site. Most stayed in tight squadrons and were regularly marching throughout the base, not even so much as complaining or stepping out of formation. The red flags depicting a golden eye insignia swayed above the scene, its color reminiscing of the blood they had spilled in the past wars.

Shulk and Robin were soon led into one of the smaller tents by the captain, where more banners depicting the golden insignia were draped. The inside of the tent was warm, as the breaths of the many soldiers, most likely commanders and generals, occupied the small space. They remained stiff and silent in a line, as a woman's voice, monotone and harsh, rose above the group. Shulk had to stand on his toes to see past the line of generals, locking onto the woman who spoke.

She was small of stature and ghostly pale, with black hair that concealed her face in shadow. Despite the obscurity, however, he could see her piercing dark eyes gaze upon her subordinates, eyes which told that she had looked at Death straight in the eye and spat in his face. She was adorned in gold and cloaked in dark robes that showed her rather risque figure. Yet, despite her small and demeaning appearance, she commanded a terrifying presence that would make whoever opposed her will immensely regret it. An even shorter man stood by her side, hair white as snow and an unsettling grin plastered onto his face. His youthful air was dissonate with his outfit: a large, dark, brooding armor that Shulk would find to belong to an evil villain from the bedside fairy tales he heard as a kid from Dickson.

"... so if I hear again of yet _another _mishap under your supervision," she drawled, Shulk now focusing on her dialogue, "I won't be very happy at all… and you know what happens when I'm not happy. I don't think the sound of being hexed up to your eyes sounds like a pleasant gift." She giggled lightly and clasped her cheeks, grinning in insane pleasure. "Ohh, imagine the thought, though… being able to curse you all _that _horribly…!"

The man by her side cackled like a madman. "Hoo boy, I want in if you're gonna do that!" he chimed.

One general was able to speak up, despite the overwhelmingly obvious fear the group experienced. "W-We swear on our honour, madam!" he choked. "It won't happen again, and we'll deliver swift punishment to the privates at fault!"

"That's more like it. Now get out of my sight, your mere presence is revolting, and I'm wearing my Sunday best." There was no hesitation or qualms as the generals hurried out of the tent, pushing past Shulk, Robin, and the captain that had captured them. Now they were alone with the terrifying commander and her sidekick, which made Shulk's heart rate speed up significantly.

However, instead of acting more annoyed, she froze the moment she laid her eyes onto the tactician beside him. "Oh my gods... I don't… Robin, my love!" She hurried over to Robin, who was smiling smugly.

"I knew that it couldn't have been anyone but you commanding this army, Tharja," she said.

Tharja blushed and giggled like a little girl, uncharacteristic of the woman Shulk had witnessed earlier. Her unnatural mannerism was interrupted as she paused and saw the ropes that were binding the tactician's wrists together. She turned to the captain, her brooding demeanor returning. "Do you mind explaining to me why the hell she's tied up, officer?"

The sweat beaded across the captain's eyebrows. "I-I was following your orders, madam," he quickly responded. "These two were spotted on the island's shore, and we assumed that they were trespassers-"

"I don't _care _what you assumed. Untie this woman and her…" Tharja finally acknowledged Shulk's presence with unsatisfied eyes, "... _companion _at once, and return their things to them, or so help me, I will hang you off the cliff of this plateau. Or, even worse, I'll let Henry decide your punishment." The villainous man in dark armor laughed at the thought, opening his squinted eyes to glare at the captain with blood red irises.

The captain yelped like a dog and frantically cut the ropes off their wrists. Shulk breathed a sigh of relief as he flexed his wrists in attempt to wipe away the soreness. The captain didn't even bother to stay, only a quick bow directed at Tharja before running out of the tent like an animal with his tail between his legs, discarding the bag that held Robin and Shulk's supplies onto the floor before them.

Tharja was quick to wrap her arms around Robin, shoving the tactician into her voluptuous chest. "I can't believe it… my darling has returned to my side, after all these years…!" She let go, leaving Robin gasping for air. 'The hex worked…!"

"What?" Robin asked in between breaths.

"Nothing."

"Roooobin, it's been forever!" The dark knight cheered, clapping her on the back. "It's like you were actively avoiding us or something! Didn't you like the present I sent you guys a while back?"

"Henry," she sighed, patting the man's hand, "We did miss you, and we appreciated last year's anniversary present from you guys, but I don't think that the preserved Risen arm were safe for the children to see…"

Shulk blinked. "'m sorry, but who are these people? And what was this about an… arm?"

As she was hanging off the tactician like a scarf, Tharja turned to him with dark, piercing eyes that coincided with the look that she gave to her generals. "Yes, I was going to ask you the same thing, boy," she drawled, slinking over to his side like a cat and stroking his face, as if he were some sort of plaything. "Robin, my love, I didn't know that you were into younger men… and I thought I told you, if you were going to have an affair and cheat on Chrom, it had better be with me."

Both Robin and Shulk lit up in the shade of the red desert sunsets of Plegia. "T-That's not-" she stammered, "Tharja, please, this is serious business that we have to attend to! I am certainly not in any mood to-"

"Ease your claws, my cat, I'm well aware of what's been happening." Tharja smiled coily. "Everyone across the continent knows of the attack that took place in Ylisstol."

"... Really? How on earth did-"

Tharja touched a finger to the other woman's lips. "You really should take care of your gossiping soldiers, my love. Their word travels fast around these parts, especially since similar situations have happened everywhere else."

Shulk furrowed his eyebrows. "You mean to say that other capitals have been attacked by Primids, right?"

"Ooooo, so that's what they're called!" Henry chimed in. "They've been running around like bugs, and I haven't even gotten a chance to grab one for myself and check it out!" He giggled like a little boy after Tharja had slapped him upside the head with her open palm.

"Ignoring my adoring husband," she continued, "if by 'Primids' you're referring to the hoards of devious minions conquering towns and states, then yes, child, I do. We've received word from our scouts that Ferox, Chon'sin, and what's left of Valm has been under siege. Plegia as well, but I was luckily there to… eradicate the problem. I felt no qualms against casting the darkest of my spells on the nasty maggots." She chortled, massaging herself again with the utmost pleasure. "How devious of me…! The way they screamed in horror with their strange little voices…!"

"Yes, of course…" Robin remembered how, after the defeat of Grima, the former Plegian king Gangrel had requested for Tharja and Henry to overlook Plegia's rebuilding while he was supposedly taking a personal vacation. As some time passed, with Gangrel never to be seen again after his leave, she had climbed the ladder to overwhelming power and named herself the high-reigning general of the army, a notion to which the citizens of Plegia were too terrified to turn down. She single-handedly organized the most strict army in the nation's history and significantly improved the state of the continent tremendously in an exceedingly short span of time. This was all during the time she conceived and birthed her young daughter, after all, and it wasn't wise to deny an expecting woman's fury and stubbornness. Robin herself knew from experience.

Henry's continuation interrupted her trailing thoughts. "We cleared them out in no time, and, unfortunately, no one was hurt or bleeding! Or dead! But then we got word of the Outrealm Gate from our other scouts, and how that one merchant's sis, Anna, and Old Hubba were nowhere to be found!" He flashed his hands into the air for dramatic effect. "Bam, completely disappeared, not a trace to be found! No blood either, so they didn't die or anything! So my darling sorceress here decided that it would be best to watch over it while they were out! Y'know, protecting it from other baddies and stuff that want to come through and attack more people!"

Robin was surprised, to say the least, but the proof that Ylisse wasn't the only area under siege continued the sinking, hidden feeling of panic. She was to remain calm, however, with deep breaths and a resolve only worthy of a scholar such as herself. "Any direct word from the other continents?" she inquired. "Did Flavia or Basilio happen to send any messengers by chance?"

"Nope! Not a single word! We sent messengers and other militia to help them out, 'cause we're such nice people, but they haven't returned yet! They're probably dead or writhing in pain!" Henry cackled once more. "What a nice image!"

"So we're in the dark," Tharja interrupted, "but with us being here, it'll at least keep the invaders at bay."

Robin smiled at Tharja's determination. "You know, I'm impressed, if not pleasantly amazed. You really took charge in doing all of this and doing your part to stop the Primids, and I'm astounded by how organized the army is. Both of you did well."

The sorceress blushed and clasped her cheeks, giggling like a lovestruck teenager. "Heehee… you really did a number on me then, my precious desert flower…"

Shulk sighed, exasperated, if not a bit annoyed. Why Robin was friends with such creepy people, one who was clearly flirting while her husband stood right by her, he didn't even know. But what he _did_ acknowledge was that there was no time to have idle conversation, like what the group was constantly slipping into instead of staying on topic. "'M sorry to interrupt," he began, "but we need access into the Outrealm Gate, ma'am, and we don't have a lot of time to wait, so-"

He immediately regretted his decision to speak up, as he could literally feel the evil aura resonating from Tharja as she bore her dark eyes into his very soul. "Ah, yes, I've forgotten about your little pet, Robin," she drawled, inching closer like a beast about to claim her dinner. "Who is he again? And what in hell's name is he wearing? It's patchy and red and disgusting."

"Ah- U-Um, well this is Shulk!" Robin quickly spoke, attempting to soothe the mad woman. "He's a… visitor, from out of town. It's a very long story, but… he is right, after all. We do need access into the Outrealm Gates, Tharja."

With a humph, she turned to Robin, unamused from the sudden distraction. "Does it have to do with Chrom? Don't think we're unaware, love. The entire army and their mothers knows that he was abducted."

Robin noticeably tensed up at her phrase, to which she sighed. "More room for me, of course, but I'd hate to see you so intense… since you're so darling to me and you care about him _so_ much… I'll let you guys in."

"R-Really?" Robin couldn't help but embrace the small sorceress from her sheer joy. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this helps us." She soon found the two of them picked up by Henry, who wanted to join in on the love. He grinned like a toddler while Tharja, attempting to conceal her embarrassment, bore daggers into his squinted gaze.

After almost breaking his arm, Henry let down the two. Tharja brushed herself off, her cheeks flushed red. "The Outrealms' pretty unstable, though, so be wary. I can sense the dark magic brewing from here, and if I hear that you don't come back alive… I'll summon your spirit and curse you up to your eyes. Or, better yet, I'll do the same to your toy over there." With that, she bore her eyes straight into Shulk's being, which caused him to almost yelp in fear.

"I promise." Robin smiled before turning to Shulk once more. He could notice the slight change in her mannerism, how her brown eyes sparkled with a kind of hope that he hadn't seen from her before. It was relieving, especially after the sulking attitude she emitted from the past few days. "Like you said, we don't have time to waste, so we better leave as quickly as we can. We can grab some supplies first, though."

Shulk beamed, nodding. "Right, let me just-" He froze in place, like ice had run down his spine, and keeled over, grabbing ahold of his head and gasping sharply.

"Shulk?" Robin quickly ran to his side, trying to help steady himself. It might have been a trick of the light, but she swore that she saw his eyes glow blue. "Shulk, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Tharja, strangely calm and unaffected, snapped at Henry to go fetch a bench. The dark knight skipped across the tent to grab the nearest wooden bench and rested it down besides Shulk, unphased and cheery as ever.

"A-A vision…!" Shulk stammered as Robin helped him seat himself. "A girl... ! It's a girl...!"

"Ooo, does this boy have clairvoyance? Interesting…" Tharja commented among the brief chaos. She rested her hand on her chin, examining him as he continued to grasp his head.

Robin grunted, recalling back to her study and how he had stated that he received visions of the future from his Monado. "What are you seeing, Shulk? Can you try to describe that girl?"

"L-Long hair… long, beautiful, blue hair… dancing in the wind… s-she's standing on a hill, raising her sword to the sky…!" "He gasped once more, relaxing himself as quickly as he had tensed up. His breathing slowed and his shoulders slumped as he looked up, meeting Robin's worried, maternal gaze. "S-Sorry, I'm fine now," he managed to say, wiping away the sweat that had begun to precipitate across his brow. "That… that one was really sudden, it kind of took me by surprise…" His gaze casted off to the side, a faint hue of red developing on his cheeks. "That girl… I've seen her in my other vision before…! That blue hair and a sword that pierces the heavens..."

"Blue hair…?" The thought struck her like a blow to the head. Robin wanted to deny it with every ounce of her strength, but deep down, the strings of her heart twisted and pulled, reaching towards the image of one who has been lost for a long time. "It couldn't be-"

To her utter frustration, another explosion and earthquake, similar to the one in Ylisstol that started her journey, sounded and shook the tent and its inhabitants, knocking everyone onto the floor. The very earth trembled from an unknown force for a good minute before a voice, thick and razor-like, sounded throughout the establishment as it cackled hoarsely.

"Well, isn't this a nice welcoming party!" the voice drawled with a similar accent to Shulk's. "Such flattery to give your guest a feast like this! I'm honored, truly! And on't think I can't see you in'ere, _Monado boy_. Why don't you come out 'ere and greet an old friend like a proper gentleman? Or do I have to just treat m'self to one of these li'l bags of flesh?" The voice cackled like swords being scraped against one another.

"That voice…" The color drained from Shulk's face in utter horror. "It can't be… I thought he was dead! Why is he-"

Without any sort of acknowledgement or hesitation, Robin left Shulk's side and stormed out of the tent, grabbing hold of the bag that contained her weapons and supplies. Rather than being surprised, like everyone else in the tent, she was rather irritated by the turn of events. After all, Robin wasn't known for being daft to these types of occurrences. She could easily conclude that, from previous events, something was going to attack once again, and she wasn't willing to let history repeat itself again.

However, what greeted her on the other side of the tent was beyond anything that she could imagine. A great beast of incomprehensible size and description towered over the likes of the camp, standing even taller than that of the Outrealm Gate. The soldiers that occupied the camp raised their spears towards it, but it was obvious to any passerby that it was useless to antagonize a monster of that foreign horror. Its body and limbs were distorted by the tendrils of metal that made up its surface, needles and poles protruded from its features and a red, ethereal line of energy pulsing throughout its structure. What could be described as its hands used staggering razors as its fingers, to which were exposed towards the camp's soldiers. A great arch was imbedded into its back, implying the illusion of wings. Robin was able to finally identify what appeared to be its face, or perhaps a mask, a sneering, horrifying mass of metal with teeth and beating red eyes.

The mask of the beast turned its gaze directly towards Robin. "You," it sneered slowly. "You're the one that my mistress has told me about! Ahaha, what a surprise! My search was quick after all! Killing you and conquering this land shall be as easy as pie!"

* * *

**_AN: FALLS OVER 10 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS ITS BEEN A BIT ANd IM SO SORRY AA_**

**_Man college and work have been busy, as well as thousands of other things I'm doing (like a new askblog? because I hate myself?). I've also sort of lost the muse for this for a bit, and I am sincerely sorry about keeping you guys. But hopefully, this'll help keep you all sustained! Especially since this chapter was supposed to be MUCH longer. I just ended up splitting it into two parts, the rest will come later! In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter and the new cover that I painted for the story! Because Robin is glorious and deserves to be portrayed as such._**

**_You know, my goal for this story is to have someone make a TVTropes page for TM lol. WE'RE GONNA GET UP TO THAT LEVEL, KIDS, I PROMISE, but it'll help if you spread the story around! Tell your nerd friends about this! And mention the fact that Female Robin is the protagonist, 'cause you know, Male Robin does not exist?_**

**_(Also special thanks to MidsummerMoonlight99 for their pointer regarding the one-on-one battles, which is gonna happen next chapter! It was originally planned to have another mass battle, but your suggestion had me change things up! Now please enjoy Metal Face slaughtering everyone!)_**

**_Hope you guys enjoyed! Leave a review, it really makes my day when I see them and gives me the strength to write! :)_**


	7. Movement II - Robin

She was at lost for words until Robin was able to finally find her voice in the presence of the evil that stood before her.

"Return to whence you came, beast," she called out, adorning her regal posture once more. She stiffened her posture and arched forward, giving off an authoritative disposition. "We will be forced to take offensive action if you do not comply."

It was hard to mask her fears with the soldiers of the Plegian army behind her trembling in their boots. She, too, was admittedly afraid for her life, but she hid her feelings better than the others. She wasn't going to let the beast see through her bluff.

"Stand down, hag! You 'ave no right to challenge one such as I!" the monster made of metal spat, raising a rusting claw towards the tactician. "Move one inch, an' I'll slaughter every single maggot on this island!"

She felt the presence of Shulk emerge beside her, but failed to detect the natural warmth he was accustomed to give. Instead, a deep, muted rage broiled from within in a feeble attempt to contain it. The boy remained calm, but the scowl on his face and the way his hands shook as they held the Monado told otherwise. More movement behind her indicated that Tharja and Henry were nearby, as well.

"Listen to what he says, Robin," he said, "he holds true to his promises."

"Monado boy, there you are!" The metallic beast cackled in familiarity. "I was wonderin' when I would see ya 'ere. Did'ya miss me ol' face?"

"You shut your mouth, Metal Face!" The sudden uncharacteristic outburst almost made Robin jump. The boy that he had first met, the awkward, gentle foreigner with a heart of gold that was easy for anyone to spot, was completely different from the person that stood beside her. He was seething with a quite, red rage, that sparkled in his glare towards the monster.

The beast - Metal Face - only sneered. "Behave now, kiddo, or me li'l claw _might just slip_." In accordance to his threat, his metal palm lowered dangerously close to a nearby soldier, a younger, seemingly new recruit, whose spear would not remain still as he cowered, stupidly remaining in his stance.

Tharja pulled a tome with a raspberry-toned hardcover, audibly growling. "No one threatens my soldiers except for me…!" she fumed, preparing to unleash a devastating spell right before Robin raised her hand to stop her.

"Enough! Both of you!" Robin whipped back her fiery gaze towards Metal Face once more, now eerily calm. "What do you want with us, creature? What business do you have here?"

"Didn't ya hear me the first time, old lady? I'm 'ere to take what's mine!" He paused, before scratching the back of his black skull with his massive claws. "Actually, what is me gracious patron's. For cla-ree-fee-ca-tion."

He extended his arms to the skies. "Yes, me amazin' mistress who granted me life again to act on her will! Ah, what good feelin's to be alive again and cause some murderin'! 'M a new person! A new me!"

"How did you get back to life, Metal Face?" Shulk questioned again, teetering on the edge of rage. "At Galahad Fortress… the spear that you shot at… you impaled yourself with it and fell into the abyss! We all saw you die!"

"Gotta admit, I was done for back t'ere. But, see 'ere, me mistress, me _very kind and forgiving _mistress, she found me remains and undid the clockwork to bring me back to me' old self again!" Metal Face simply chuckled and shrugged. "So long as I do 'er biddin', I'm as lively as a newborn babe. Not that I mind that much… killing these Homs is the most fun I can 'ave! ...Oh, 'm sorry, _humans_. What an odd name for your species."

Before Shulk could fire another retort, Robin halted his movement and intervened. "Who is your mistress?"

"Hah! Like ya gonna gettit' outta me! I've said too much already!"

"If you are truly here to kill us like you said," Robin affirmed, her harsh expression remaining stiff, "then there is no reason to withhold information. Take it as a last request, if you will."

The metal beast hesitated once more before creaking and releasing steam from his joints. "Ya gotta point… Meh, why not." He kneeled down to the tactician, bringing his cruel metal mask closer to her eye level. His red eyes glimmered in the shadow of his body and the Outrealm Gate. Shulk visibly stirred from the corner of her vision.

"Me mistress… the Time Mistress is gonna rightfully rule the universe, little lady. She 'as these powers that are somethin' real fierce that can tear the very fabric of time apart! Lovely as a sunset, she is, and will break your bones one by one if you disobey 'er!"

"The Time Mistress…?" The title was completely alien to her. A connection stuck in her mind's eye. "Is she… Is she the one who sent the Primids?"

"Ya bet!" Metal Face chortled. "Nasty li'l bugga's, they are. But they get the job done, aye?"

Her cheeks turned red hot, but had to remind herself that to remain calm and composed. If she were to lash out and act out on her emotions rather than her rational wit, it could be the end for them all.

"Why is she doing this? What purpose is there to attack Ylisstol and Plegia? Or Bionis, and the other worlds?"

"Like I said, grannie! She's the rightful ruler of the universe, so she's just movin' in and takin' 'er place real nicely! See, me mistress doesn't like rebellion, so she wanted to snuff out any sign of it. 'Course, nothin's bein' done 'ere proper-like… so I'm 'ere for cleanup." He howled in delight once more. "She really did thought that gettin' rid of the blue-haired king 'ere would end any sort'a opposition, huh. Guess there is a change o' plans!"

Robin's face slowly draining of color revealed her sudden rush of anxiety at the mention of Chrom, and Metal Face gleamed at the discovery of a vulnerable weak point to further exploit.

"Oh, so ya know him?" he continued, before throwing back his head in maniacal glee. "What a mate! The way 'e acts all _heroically _and _noble_ \- threatenin' us like that. It won't be long now… not long til' me mistress breaks him into _tiny. Li'l. Pieces._"

The last string of hope that kept her heart together finally snapped, suddenly shattering what was left of her cool composure. Robin, in blind fury, yelled fervently into the air and launched a pyre of a raging Arcfire spell towards the beast, now letting go of any sort of restraint.

Metal Face merely flicked Robin's spell aside like a nuisant insect, cackling at her feeble attempt of an attack. "Now now, haggie!" he mocked, brandishing his claws and rearing back into his full height. "What'd I say about movin' an inch…!"

He arched his arm back before he darted his weapons towards the tactician, aiming to kill. The entirety of the Plegian army let out a collective cry out of fear.

Seconds before the sharp blades reached her face, a swift fizzle of heat knocked the claws away as a shadow was quick to step forward in her defense. There, Shulk was now before Robin, his Monado vibrating with a furious electricity.

"Oh look'ie 'ere! Monado boy's bein' brave and savin' old ladies!" Metal Face twiddled his razor sharp fingers.

"Enough of this, you coward!" Shulk spat. The fierce cyan light of the Monado casted dramatic shadows onto his face which exaggerated his scowl further. "You know that they can't hurt you, but I can!"

"What, with that ol' toothpick of yours? That Monado isn't the same one you've faced me with before, boy. It'll do a fraction of the 'arm it once caused!"

"You lie!"

Metal Face's malicious laughter reverberated throughout the area. "Me mistress was right, after all! Ya memories… they aren't the same as mine, kid! Not at all! This'll be interesting…"

He almost went off to further gloat in Shulk's confused rage when his dialogue was cut short when he viewed the tactician once more. Her furious gaze was as hard as diamonds and as sharp as the scissor-like hands that he bore. The silver hair that stood on her head, a reminder to him of a certain elder Hom, gently waved in a silent wind and whipped stray strands in front of her face. Her brown eyes, for a moment, appeared as a deep, cold red.

"That look…" he muttered while Robin continued to send daggers through her stare. He recalled where he had seen that look before. He had once seen something similar on the Monado boy, but this one the woman was giving… No, Metal Face had seen it before, as his old friend and rival stared at him with the same sort of hatred and ferocity, his own brown, spiked hair dancing on the wind's back.

The Time Mistress did sense there was something off surrounding this particular woman and had ordered him to keep her alive. But the reminder of Dunban was too much for his fiery temper. It simply pissed him off.

"_DON'T YOU DARE GIVE ME THAT LOOK!" _Metal Face screeched loudly into the sky, then slammed his large claws into the earth. Whether it was magic or the work of the mysterious mistress he served, the earth below the mechanical titan cracked and split apart and spewing forth a fountain of black matter from below the camp. The black bubbling mass began forming into dreaded monsters of different shapes and sizes.

The standing army on the ground descended into chaotic madness soon after the invading Primids emerged from the rocky ravine and commenced their attack.

Men from all over screamed and cried out in the wake of the onslaught. Shulk, in response to the oncoming battle, shouted out in livid, uncontrolled rage and readied his blade to the barrage of attacks. Tharja and Henry remained silent behind their troops, only to be whispering the dark texts of their malicious spell books.

And yet Robin didn't hear a thing in the midst of the chaos.

Perhaps she was getting old, according to the taunting jeers that the great metal beast had made. Didn't it have a name as it addressed the tactician…? Yes...Shulk had called it Metal Face, which really did make sense from the grotesque shape of its mask. Now that her resolve left in shambles, her mind was as scattered like the thinning remnants of the Plegian army. When she alone had challenged the enemy presence, Metal Face had laughed in is cold, raucous voice, as if he were watching a grand comedy unfold before him, and scoffed at her foolish bravery.

The air was seized out from her lungs as if she were swallowing the continent of Ferox itself. The legendary strategist was now left on her own, winded and paralyzed.

Everyone in the battlefield had dispersed across the land. The soldiers, despite their crippling fear, swarmed like a hive of bees throughout the newly created warzone and repelled the onslaught of Primids. However, their head-first defensive strategy was shown hopelessly ineffective as soon as the enemies contained far more strength than the human soldiers had previously faced. It was uncertain if Primads were fueled by the fast outburst of wrath that the great metal beast had emitted, or an outside source was fueling and energizing their newfound power behind their assault. Regardless of the Pledgians' best efforts, more and more men fell before Robin's path. The growing piles of bloodied bodies laid strewn about on the ground.

The new recruit, the one soldier she saw Metal Face threaten earlier, was presently lying face up in the dirt. His empty, lifeless eyes looking toward the azure sky in a preserved horror.

Blue.

The iridescent color reminded her of Chrom's clear, blue orbs.

Tharja and Henry were fortunate enough in holding their own more successfully. Everything seemed to slow down, as if time itself was turning at a snail's pace. Tharja's raven hair whipped behind her like a black curtain, now casting one spell after another and surrounding herself in glowing magic circles. Henry had already summoned his horse and shined in his trademark, horrifying smile, all while he stomped out the Primids, switching in between his sword and a thunder tome that roasted the enemies. The sight reminded Robin of the old days in battle, when Chrom had stood beside her.

Almost instinctively, Shulk decided to face the metal beast alone after breaking away from his shadowy minions. They surrounded each other in a perfect dance. The only person capable of harming Metal Face was the Monado wielder, after all. Since the two seemed like old archenemies, it was only appropriate. The intense fire and anger that was burning off of him was of something fierce, an intimidating characteristic Robin never had seen on his person before. She recalled how Chrom had faced his adversaries is such an unwielded, determined passion.

The robed tactician wandered the battlefield like a lost child, left in a daze within her own self delusion as the madness clashed and whirled around her. The deafening silence she alone could only hear, Robin was left abandoned to what was left of her emotions, her memories, her love and her children.

How could she help these people when she couldn't help herself? Help her children? Help _Chrom_?

Robin felt her legs buckle, the growing desire to crawl away into a hole and hide forever consumed her very being. She sank to a squat, curling into herself, tucking her head into her knees and under her arms. The battle continued on around her, but somehow no one paid her any mind. Her racing heart pounded in her eardrums, her gasping breaths lost in the noise.

It wasn't long until an enemy Primid took notice of her vulnerable state, and on command, moved forward to end her life quickly. Never in her life did Robin feel so hopeless, so useless - to have a mere grunt kill her so easily. Maybe it was for the best?

Perhaps Chrom was already dead after all, by the hands of that Time Mistress. Maybe her other missing person, the long lost, beloved daughter of time, had perished long ago as well, and the two would both finally greet her at the gates of Naga's realm.

They would be a family only then, wouldn't they?

She could smell his scent again, the fresh grass of the plains of Ylisse on his traces.

_Be strong, young one. You are not done yet._

The wind stroked her back like a gentle hand. Or was it a real hand…? Robin wasn't sure.

_Your tale, as well as your husband's and those connected to you, is not complete just yet. Perhaps you will see him again, but that is for you to decide. For now, you must fight and earn your way to his path._

The kind-hearted presence managed to help her to her feet.

_The pain will not stop for chapters and pages to come, and it will be hard,_ _arduous task__. But look towards the horizon, Master Tactician, and you shall see your glimmer of hope._

Robin was hollow like a phantom when she turned around, gazing upon the hill of the plateau behind herself. However, once she spotted the radiant distant figure upon its peak, she suddenly felt whole again.

Her hair had naturally grown significantly longer, given her years of absence. Just like the navy tides in an ocean, it gracefully danced in the winds and joined the red cape in fluttering away from her person. The momentous blue color in her uniform remained muted and dirtied, but the gold linings of her tunic shimmered in the light, just like delicate threads in the afternoon sky. The same golden tiara that Robin fondly remembered gleamed atop of her head in the same way. Throughout the waves of blue marked a bold, unwavering expression, her eyes set ablazed with the same blue eyes reminiscent of her father's. If one were to look closely, they would see the faint, pale mark of Naga encrypted into her left eye.

Any breath of air left escaped from Robin's mouth as Lucina drew her sword, the true legendary Falchion, and raised it skybound.

The tip of the blade refracted the light of the sun into a ray of light that resound throughout the battlefield and caught the eye of every being involved. The field grew silent in awe of the sudden presence, both Plegian and Primid forces alike stared at the blue lord. Lucina took only a moment to let her existence be known before dashing towards the battlefield at an alarming speed, hacking down the unsuspecting enemy units. Her rapid-fire charge didn't register for either side at first, but once Primid goons fell left and right, the Subspace minions immediately ran for their lives.

The metal-plated giant had taken note of the retreating forces. "You idiots!" he yelled at the fleeing soldiers. "Stand your ground! Stop her!"

Only a few brave units decided to stand against her, but Lucina did not hesitate to end their existence as quickly as they appeared to oppose her. The Plegian army could only watch in utter shock as one lone girl withstood the entire Subspace army by herself. Robin remained still like a statue when Lucina zoomed passed, unphased by the tactician's being. Soon enough, she managed to shove Shulk out of the way and pointed her blade straight towards the metal beast.

It was a brief second of silence before Metal Face began laughing hysterically. "Well, isn't this dandy! You 'onestly think that that puny li'l knife can 'urt me, girl? What a joke!" He proceeded to assert his untouchable, god-like status by swinging his razored hands at her, intending to end her puny life as quickly as blowing out a candle.

Lucina remained silent and swung her blade to repel the attack with a flick of her wrist. The _shing_ of the Falchion cutting against the razor claws resonated throughout as Metal Face retracted his hand and cried in pain.

"How did you - " Metal Face waved his hand around, the red energy that pulsated throughout his structure dripped out from his claws. An obvious cut was drawn across the metal, as if the sword had cut through clay.

Lucina pointed Falchion at him again. "This blade I hold is of legendary status," she spoke, her words as frozen as ice. "It has drank the blood of the ancient Earth Dragons during the time of the Hero King and has slayed the Fell Dragon Grima. It has been blessed and tempered in the fires of Naga, the Great Divine Manakete." She pierced his very being with look that could shake the Earth. "If you thought for one _damn_ second that you could not be harmed by a sword such as the Falchion, then you are the most daft creature I have ever laid eyes on. Now, leave this world with your army of creatures and never return, or I will end your miserable existence, right here and now!"

The metal beast remained speechless, the silence of the entire plateau stifling, before her screamed a noise of most pure fury. "Your 'ead is mine, li'l girl, for anotha' time!" He quickly ran into the nearby Outrealm Gate with ground-trembling stomps, disappearing into the ethereal light. The Subspace army dissolved back into its original state, the dark matter slowly fading away into the dust of the earth. The surviving Plegian army kept silent.

Lucina sheathed her sword, closing her eyes and finally exhaling away the intensity that she bore. She only glanced briefly at the blonde boy that she had shoved away from the beast, who had fallen onto the earth and stared up at her in complete admiration, before slowly walking toward the towering Outrealm Gate, preparing to advance forward.

"_LUCINA!"_ A familiar voice called for her, and she made the mistake of turning around before entering the gate.

At the other side of the parted sea of the remaining Plegian soldiers, Robin stood, disheveled and out of breath, her expression wild. Too many thoughts swam through her head, too many things to say and do, to run to her and embrace her and told her that she loved her -

The blue lord's gaze was frigid, as if she were threatening Metal Face once more, but only with the most subtle undertone of sadness in her watery eyes. Without wasting another second, she turned away towards the blue, luminous light of the Outrealm Gate and entered the archway.

"Lucina… Lucina!" Robin sprinted as fast as she could to the gate, but Lucina was already gone, her destination unknown at the end of the portal. She continued running and found Shulk, who had recovered back on his feet and had a flushed shade of red painted across his cheeks, running alongside her. She must've heard Tharja and others call for her name, but she didn't care. She didn't even acknowledge it.

With Shulk now joined again by her side, as frantic as she was, Robin dove head first into the Outrealm Gate, chasing after her daughter.

* * *

_**Author's Note: [PLAYS 10,000 AIR HORNS AT THE SAME TIME] LUCINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああ**_

_**O h my god you have no idea how much I've wanted to write Lucina, even if it's just a snippet for now. Don't worry though, she'll get her own chapter soon enough, plus a LOT more screen time later on. She is one of the main characters after all! And, with all the hype from the recent Nintendo Direct with Lucas, Mewtwo, SMTxFE, and the new Fire Emblem, it was only appropriate that I updated with a Fire Emblem chapter featuring my most precious daughter. FE:If looks absolutely fantastic, btw. I'm so excited that my hotness gets to be reflected in-game with Fem!Kamui.**_

_**And yes, before anyone asks, I do plan on writing Lucas and Mewtwo later on into the story. That was the plan in the first place anyway, when I started drafting, to add them, as well as other characters that I will not name (but are pretty obvious orz). I'll add whoever wins the Smash Ballot too! Just not Ridley, though. Ridley's too fucking big.**_

_**Also, I would very much like to introduce the new beta for TM, A. Mistuni, or Mistuni for short! She did a wonderful job editing this chapter, and I look forward to many more chapters to come with her! Go check out her profile too, she has a really cool Smash Bros. story that's a must read. Really interesting modern AU that actually is gonna get more cool and serious and "Smash Bros-y" down the line. Plus, Fem Robin! Always a must!**_

_**Please leave a review, whether it be a prediction, comment, incoherent screaming, or you just wanna say hi and chat! Also, spread this around too! Tell your friends or your mom. Someone needs to make that TVTropes page sooner or later...**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_


	8. Aria - Lucina

_Tiki awoke the the sweet smell of the familiar air above the canopy of the Mila Tree, having found a stray piece of her grass-colored hair plastered to her lip._

_She sighed as she rose from her stone bed and pried the drool-covered strand from her face. A stifled yawn escaped her lips as she soon found her arms reaching towards the heavens above, a series of cracks rippling down her back. Her muscles aching and her thoughts drowsy, she might have been asleep for the better part of the week. A sigh escaped her once again as she gazed into the sky with dreamy eyes, noting to herself that she had best find a more comfortable resting area if she were to pass out again. Even the open grass would have been more suitable than the stone table._

_Her stomach growled in protest to her thoughts. It was another lazy day, as she wasn't planning on any visitors coming to offer worship to or seek council from the Voice of Naga. Perhaps she could call for Anna to give her some nourishment, or invite Say'ri once more to dine with her. There was always the option to rest once more under the shade of the stone pillars, or perhaps she could try to contact her mother again about the strange visions she received in her dreams._

_A stir from the foliage disrupted her initial plans. She turned towards the guest, and she noticed the striking blue of her ensemble that contrasted with the bright green of the environment._

"_Lucina, my child, you have returned once more," Tiki breathed, not realizing that her arms had widened in the young princess's presence. _

_Lucina presented a tired smile. "Yes, I have, but only briefly, to ask for a quick council as per the usual," she returned the welcome. "I hope you fared well in my absence, My Lady."_

"_You rebound to such formalities. How odd of you." Without thinking, she embraced the other girl, as if they were old friends. In selfish truth, the brief encounters with Lucina allowed the manakete to dwell in her old memories of Marth. "You have permission to address me by my name, you know, or have your travels made you forget?"_

_Lucina hesitated to answer, stiffening by the manakete's touch. "My apologies… Tiki. It had been a rather long journey for me."_

"_Speaking of," Tiki stepped away, "I assume that your most recent travels were fruitless, yes?"_

_Lucina seemed to have visibly aged a year at the comment. "Yes, unfortunately." Her frustration lightly boiled over. "It's been years, Tiki, since I began to do this, and I've had no luck! This world is in a time of peace, but it's not my own, and we both know that I don't belong here, and yet fate has built an impenetrable wall! I've been searching through the Outrealms all this time and…" Her knuckles crackled loudly as she clenched her fists. "I'm sorry, I've only just arrived and I've already begun to be unpleasant."_

"_There is no need to apologize, your feelings are valid and reasonable." Tiki's brows furrowed. "We've discussed this, Lucina. You changed the future when Grima was destroyed, so it very likely that your world-"_

"_I know," the princess interrupted with a firm raise of her hand. "I know, but I still need to try… for all the horrors that I've seen, both in this realm and the others, I must continue to think this way."_

_Tiki smiled gently and ushered for the other girl's hand in attempt to relax her nerves. "You are a remarkable young woman, and a brave warrior, but it is wise to cease this detrimental activity. You've even convinced yourself that you do not belong here-"_

"_Which I don't."_

"_\- but that is the farthest thing from the truth. Your comrades, including myself, believe this to be the case, and your family… They've come this way before, asking if I knew of your whereabouts, and I lied upon your request and for your sake, but you know how I cannot do so for much longer. I have yet to converse with them in a long time, but even I could sense how they miss you."_

_A tone of bitterness washed over Lucina's expression as she gazed into her feet. "They are not my family," she asserted, her voice quiet, almost a whisper, but emphasized enough to get her point across._

_The manakete merely sighed. Lucina had advised many times to not mention the House of Ylisse, but Tiki had always persisted despite her wishes. "You remain stubborn throughout these years, then." She lifted Lucina's chin with her free hand so that they met each other's eyes. The Mark of Naga shined brightly in her left eye, as if her apparent exhaustion made it glow brighter. "You are a free person, so I will not stop you from continuing in your quest. However, you have asked for council, and this is what you shall receive. The decision is yours to keep, but I ask of you to consider your true feelings, as well as the feelings of your peers. You will find your happiness with them, not with a home of ages past. That is my council."_

_Lucina looked so fragile, like a glass sword about to break, but continued to remain firm. "I am only stopping by briefly," she said after some time. "It is a week or so trek back to the Outrealm Gate… but I wanted to see you again. You're… you're the only person I can trust here, you know."_

"_As I unfortunately know." She smiled faintly, before a quiet yawn escaped her lips. It was time for another nap. "Take care, dear, and do not forget what I have told you."_

_She nodded before turning on her heel with a flip of her cape, towards the opening in the canopy to the world below. As Tiki returned to her stone perch, a memory of her visions flashed before her eyes._

"_Oh, and Lucina…" she called as she turned around, catching the princess before she departed. "Proceed with caution. I have been receiving strange visions as of recent… I cannot describe it exactly, but there is an ominous presence looming over the horizons. Whatever you must do, please be careful."_

_A light smile traced Lucina's face once more. "I will."_

* * *

She had to run. She had to run as far away as she could.

The aether of the Outrealm Gate swirled around her, like she was falling through an endless whirlpool. Blue and green lights drifted in the area like snowflakes, and an ethereal fog that stung her eyes as it latched onto the turbulent wind. It was as if she were traveling through the most gentle blizzard in history, in a sick sense of humor. It didn't matter though; none of it really did.

All that did matter was that she had to get away from Ylisse, from her world, from _her_.

She had made it a habit to stop by the Mila Tree once in a while to seek guidance in the one person she could find in her heart to trust, which was a grave mistake in hindsight. The goal was to abandon her attachment to that world, to sever the bonds she had developed with its inhabitants, to further the strain and the space in order to make her journey all the easier. No, not to find herself returning, to yearn for her estranged conrads or the people she made the mistake of calling family. And yet, she always found herself coming back over and over again, maybe to seek solace, maybe to wander the remnants of nature, she wasn't sure. But she had made a solemn vow that she wouldn't set foot in Ylisse. It was too close to them, after all.

If she were to stay away from that kingdom, then she was to be safe, she assumed. Yet, why was _she_ in Plegia? Why'd she have to be so damn close, just out of reach? Why in Naga's name did it even affect her as much as it did?

She cursed herself for her futile efforts for the past few years.

The tunnel of aether continued to churn, even when she stopped to catch her breath and figure out where she was. Nothing. Nothing but the beautiful teal chaos of the Outrealm. Everywhere led to nowhere, and nowhere led to every possible pathway. She was lost, and she was too focused on previous events to notice. She cursed herself yet again for her stupidity. Why was it so difficult break free from her one-track thoughts?

A subtle red glow from her belt broke her trail of thoughts, and she remembered that strange letter again. Reaching for the parchment hooked onto her belt, the letter's wax seal glowed a faint red, almost unnoticeable to one who didn't pay attention. It was an unfathomable concept that she had even received the letter in the first place; one night she was camping in the forest, the next it had appeared by the dying embers of her campfire, addressed to her and speaking about some sort of tournament of the multiverse, or something along those lines.

Lucina recalled the strange monsters, the towering metal beast, and the sun-kissed boy who clearly wasn't from that world. Whatever had happened, whatever was happening, it obviously had to do with the other worlds, possibly places she hadn't even seen before with concepts that were foreign to her. The way the red wax seal pulsed with energy only reaffirmed this. An idea struck her to move her hand around the space, where the seal faintly flickered more frequently in a certain direction.

She humphed. What other ideas were there, other than to wander aimlessly? As she took a few steps forward, the pulse only began to intensify, as if it were guiding her towards an opening in the aether. There clearly wasn't another option, so she began walking down one of the many tunnels she found, the seal growing brighter with each step and directing her to an unknown location.

When she had reached what seemed to be a dead-end, with the seal pounding against the parchment with a hot, vivid energy, Lucina assumed the worst and feared that she was lost again. The seal only continued to glow. Thankfully, she noticed an odd swirl in the dead-end that stood out among the normal tides of aether. She grew closer, placing a hand on the wall that was textured like frosted glass, and saw a faint image of a wasted landscape, not a hint of greenery to be seen, with a lone, diminished fortress peaking above the sandy wind. She raised an eyebrow at the site. It was a doorway to another world, clearly, but she had never seen another like this in her travels. The rough glass was like a barrier, a foreign kind of magic reverberating quietly under her fingertips, and it was clearly meant to keep outsiders like herself away.

The seal only continued to glow. Her instinct led her other hand holding the letter onto the wall, which started to vibrate angrily. The red light of the seal enveloped the glass, overpowering the teal and blue of the aether, and without warning, she was no longer in the Outrealm, as indicated by the gush of sand colliding with her face.

She turned around as she spit out the sand and attempted to shield her eyes. No doorway. It was if she appeared in the new environment out of thin air, unlike her other travels. She glanced back at her environment, where the vision that was inside the glass wall was remarkably crisp and real. The fortress loomed over the red desert like a dark cloud, and the skies above were gray and muted, preparing to rain down upon the earth with the imminent thunder churning above.

If it really was going to rain, then the only reasonable choice was to seek shelter in the fortress. The building looked ready to fall apart at any moment, but it was the best she could have in such a flat landscape. Perhaps, if she were lucky, Lucina could restock on food and supplies. She slipped the letter back onto her belt.

The walk to the fortress seemed like an eternity, despite it being relatively close. With no solid ground to trek on, moving through the desert gale was was also the added difficulty of her constantly having to push away the bits of sand and dust that were thrown at her face and the inside of her shoes. As she grew closer, hundreds of arrows began to surface themselves around the area like a graveyard, embedded into the dry soil. Ballistae stood as monuments with their wooden cores rotting away. She could now see the red flags drifting in the gust at the top of the towers, lazily dancing like ghosts. Wherever she was, there must have been some great battle in the past, its specter-like presence preserved in the sand.

The raindrops only began to scatter from the sky when she had finally arrived at the fortress, and she took care in concealing herself and the letter from the weather with her cape. With a heave, she pushed the large wooden doors open into the cold foyer of the fortress. It was just as ruined and dead on the inside, red tapestries and carpets ripped apart and cobblestone missing from the wall and ceiling. Water dripped from the ceiling and spilled onto the stone floor in small waterfalls. She continued to wander without thought.

She was begging to whoever listened above for something there. Firewood, food, even rats would do, anything. But as she continued to search and was left alone to reflect on the situation with ease, she felt heavier, like boulders were strapped to her back and slowly weighing her down. She was tired and cold and, for once, she wished that her subconscious would be kind to her and allow her a dreamless sleep. And as the weight of her eyes grew heavier, she had no other choice but to lie down on a dry spot on the floor, wrap herself with her cape, and wait for the growing storm to weather itself out. She could leave in the morning hopefully, and she could stand a night without a fire.

Without her even realizing, the night took her slowly, and the world faded away from her tired mind. She thanked Naga or whatever god was listening for her dreamless sleep.

* * *

Lucina woke up to the sound of crackling firewood, sending a pulse of alarm through her system. She didn't move, only slightly opened her eyes to see the soft flicker of fire before her face. A figure loomed over the fire, tending to its embers. A savory smell wafted through the air.

She moved her free hand to the Falchion's hilt at a snail's pace, keeping her eyes closed. A piece of wood crackled and popped in the fire, catching the attention of the stranger. She must've made a grunt of some sort that alerted him of her wake, as he shifted in his seat to glance at her.

"Oh, good morning," the stranger spoke with a gentle voice, though it made Lucina freeze in her tracks. "I know the floor is not the most comfortable place to sleep, but I hope you rested well."

In a split second, Lucina was on her knees as she drew her sword and aimed the blade at the stranger's throat. The metal of the blade reflected the orange of the fire below.

The stranger smiled, a clear sign of panic washed over his face. "H-Hey, it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. See?" With slow moment, he lowered the stick he used to tend the fire onto the floor, and gestured to his discarded sword to the side. "I am a friend, I promise. I have no intention of fighting you."

"Who are you?" Lucina asked, her expression intense and cold. In her mind's eye, she scolded herself for falling asleep and not preparing herself against an intrusion such as this. "I thought this place was abandoned. What are you doing here?"

"I had thought the same thing, really, but then here we are." Despite the sweat forming across his brow, a warm smile grew on his face. "My name is Marth. What is yours, milady?"

"Marth…" The light of the fire traced across Marth's features, and the sudden recognition hit her like a brick. It was like she was looking into a mirror and seeing her own obscured reflection. His blue hair was neatly kempt, a delicate tiara similar to Lucina's placed on his head. His breastplate and shoulder pads were of a dark iron with gold engravings, his gauntlets worn from battle and his tunic ageless. A red brooch remained at his side, supposedly to pin together a cape that was absent from his attire. Lucina reached for her shoulder with her free hand, finally noticing the unfamiliar cloth that was draped over her person.

Marth took note of his cape. "You were shivering in your sleep," he explained. "It was raining, and the fortress can be fairly chilled at night, so I made a fire and gave you my cape for warmth." He nodded his head towards the skewers on the fire. "I prepared some food for when you awakened, as well."

Any air that she held escaped her. "Marth... _the_ Marth? The great Hero-King?"

Marth raised a curious eyebrow. "I'm not quite familiar with that title, milady, and I don't believe we have met before… has my name become that widespread?"

"I…" Of course he wouldn't know her. She had only known him as an Einherjar, a weapon with no true humanity. The person before her, however, was the real thing: the hero that she impersonated all those years ago, the name that she took to give herself courage. It could've been an imposter, surely, but he had her father's strong nose and her own blue hair. She even saw a bit of Morgan in his kind eyes.

She moved like a doll as she sat back down and sheathed her sword, absorbed in shock. "I-I… I am Lucina, sir," she managed to say.

Marth released the breath he'd been holding when her sword was poised at her throat. "Lucina… It is nice to make your acquaintance." He slumped into a reclined position, and gestured once more to the food on the fire. "I managed to collect some lizards here. Help yourself to them…"He noticed the unpleasant expression that crossed the girl's face.

"...u-unless you don't eat that, of course. It was the only thing I could muster in the area."

"

Lucina nodded in protest to her revolted stomach. "No, it's fine. I've fared worse." She didn't reach for the food, only discarding his cape off her shoulders. A pregnant silence stifled the air, only the sounds of crackling wood reverberating through the hall. "Not that I am not grateful, sir, but… why would you trust a complete stranger? I could have killed you just now."

"Ah, but you didn't." Marth gave her another one of those warm, beautiful smiles. "To be honest, though, when I had heard the gates opening, I had assumed that a Primid had infiltrated the fortress, and I was well enough prepared to retaliate. But when I found you asleep here… I didn't have the heart. You're just a girl, after all. A girl with a fairly grand sword, but a girl, nonetheless." He continued poking at the fire. "You also remind me of my wife. Especially now that you're awake."

"Your wife?" Caeda, the great Pegasus Knight princess of Talys, was a grand beauty and a dangerous foe on the battlefield. It felt unnatural to be compared to the likes of her, especially since she saw more similarities of herself in Marth than of his wife.

"Yes, you have the same softness to your face as her." He smiled at the thought. "And certainly similar hair. Why, I'd imagine she'd have the best of times playing with it…" A quiet sadness glazed over his eyes, and he stopped talking, staring intently into the fire.

_He must've left her behind when he arrived here_, Lucina thought to herself. She decided to take the initiative to distract him. "Sir Marth," she began, "why are you here? This certainly isn't your home, is it?"

"A clever one, I see." He sighed. "No, it is not, though I am familiar with these grounds, nonetheless." He reached behind his back and pulled a letter striking similar to Lucina's from his belt. "I am a regular competitor at a tournament hosted here in these lands. Before I was to embark here, however… my home, Altea, was attacked by a foe I had assumed was decimated. When my safety was jeopardized, I reluctantly fled to here, though at the wrong part of the continent, ironically." He let out a pathetic chuckle. "I'll be honest, I feel like a coward, leaving behind my wife and army to fend for themselves, but... I had to investigate this predicament here."

Lucina attempted a gentle smile. "There's no cowardice in that. I'm certain that they are fine." She held no doubts that Caeda and the rest of the Hero-King's army could fend off any attacks thrown at them.

He picked at the meat on the skewer, tentative to eat. "I was wondering how you were here, as well. Not everyone can enter this world."

She hesitated to answer before a light chuckle escaped her lips. "There must be some sort of grand comedy afoot," she quipped, before flashing her own letter to the man, the charcoal letters of her name fading in places.

Marth blinked, stunned. "Ah, I see," he simply stated, before smiling gently once more. "So you were invited to the tournament?"

"I had no intention of participating," she quickly retorted. Her fingers crinkled the corner of the letter. "Though I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, coming here."

"Was your home attacked as well?" The king's voice seeped with genuine concern. Lucina questioned how a person could be so friendly and caring to a complete stranger, and wondered how he managed to survive a war earlier in his youth.

"W-Well… yes, but that wasn't the reason I fled."

The hint of hostility deterred Marth from persisting further. After a moment of silence, he spoke once more. "What do you plan to do, then?"

"... I don't know. I've traveled throughout different worlds before, so I can just figure it out as I go, I guess."

Marth placed a hand on his chin in thought. "That also explains why you've heard of my name, then." A sly smirk unbefitting of his gentle charisma traced his lips.

Lucina felt the sweat forming on the back of her neck as she stiffened her sitting position. "T-That… That doesn't-"

"I will not pry, don't you worry," he simply responded. A moment of silence once more. "If you truly have no where else to go… perhaps you will accompany me?"

That certainly was sudden_._ "Sir, I couldn't-"

"I prefer travelling with others, rather than on my own. I work better with a group, even if it is one other person. You also seem experienced with the way of the sword… I could use the assistance, really." His face turned unnaturally grim. "You should know, as well, how heavy the burden is of bearing that invitation. It may be for sport, but the attendees of the Smash Brothers tournament are the bravest, most powerful creatures in all of the worlds, and when the safety of everyone is at stake, we're expected to right wrongs and preserve that safety. Are you not familiar with that responsibility?"

She was at lost for words. It really was uncanny how familiar his speech sounded, as if she had spoken of the very same sort to her own army. She was tired, though. Tired of fighting and running and watching the world crumble despite every effort she exerted. Every time she had allowed hope to blossom in her chest, it was set aflame, burning along with a parallel timeline, among the ashes that Grima or some other awful being had created. She was only a lost little girl now, just wanting to return home and be done with it.

But looking back into his eyes, Lucina saw a glimmer of belief and will, submerged with a sort of ache and loneliness she was too afraid of relating to. Perhaps he hadn't gone through exactly what she had, but Marth was familiar with the pain she had experienced. It was as obvious as the nose on her face, and she cursed herself for her inability to hide it. Yet he was still able to smile, laugh, and be kind to her, a stranger from another land. That in of itself…

"Fine," she mustered, a lump caught in her throat. "I'll join you, if you'll have me."

He grinned and reached for her hand in a friendly handshake. "Of course I will. You and I will make a good team, I am certain of it."

A light trace of a smile traced her lips as she shook his hand. She would fight for her wavering hope at least, one last time, and prayed to whoever listened that she wouldn't be proven wrong again.

* * *

_**AN: I... really don't have an excuse for how late this is. Just that I've been very busy and I've had a lot of writer's block.**_

_**Mitsuni had some personal stuff going on, so this chapter was actually edited by my lovely friend Cirb. She has a story mode fic over at AO3 that's FANTASTIC and I highly recommend it. It's called "In the Wake of Legends," so go check it out! You can also check out the mirrored version of Time Mistress over there while you're at it.**_

_**Enjoy and leave reviews!**_


	9. Eisis - Red

"Should… should we knock?"

Despite the fact that Smash Mansion had been his second home for so long, Red was hesitant to enter. A part of him urged him to burst through the tremendous mahogany doors and storm the fortress, to see his old friends and contest in a friendly brawl once more like old times. The other part of him was soundly paranoid and afraid that, rather than his friends, another onslaught of Primids would greet his group and cause even more chaos; a dreadful image that he hoped wouldn't come to fruition.

For now, he stood in front of the doors with several Pokemon and a rather temperamental Serena, waiting for a response or a sign that things were alright inside.

Serena's mood had fluctuated within the last half hour, which began from startled to unresponsive, then finally settling in a steady, aggravated attitude, which Red was unaccustomed to seeing. He had understood why she was reacting in such a way; it was natural for her, or anyone for that matter, who had experienced the sudden trauma she went through to react in such a way, especially with the circumstances pressed together in a very short amount of time. It depressed him to realize how her entire world seemed to fall apart in an hour, with the safety of her loved ones in question. Even in the thick of her bubbling irritation, he could tell how very worried she was for her friends and her mom. Red shared in her anger with leaving behind their world to the Primids as well, but he knew he needed to remain calm to get through the situation.

No one said a single word or murmured a sound. Lucario himself remained passive with his eyes closed, probably observing the environment with his aura-sensing abilities. Greninja kept his attention on Serena, in case the girl was ever in need of his assistance, and stayed still as a statue. Squirtle and Ivysaur were restless and eager to enter the building, yet wouldn't move a muscle - not without their master's permission.

Serena, who was beyond past the breaking point, snapped.

"Ugh, what are we even doing standing here? We're wasting time," she groaned, her anger completely boiled over as she soon shoved past Red and pushed the heavy doors open with a heave.

"W-Wait, Serena - " Red called out for her, but it was too late. Serena had already barged into the mansion's foyer and strolled herself inside. His two Pokemon had cried in joy as they followed after her, ultimately ignoring their trainer's commands. Lucario even drifted in to examine the surroundings, silent as a Ghost Pokemon with a soundless Greninja trailing behind. Recognizing the nonexistent pressure from his peers, Red sulked with sullen shoulders and followed everyone else in.

The air was stiff and cold compared to the warm, sunny environment outside, almost as if a bag full of ice had struck Red across the face. The foyer had taken on an entirely different atmosphere than when he had last remembered. This grand hall was dim, as the only source of light was now seeping from the grandiose windows in dripping rays of sun. The duo and their Pokemon had perched themselves onto the marble staircase that laid onto the first floor and up into the second. Prior to, the staircase were rows of marble columns and a deep red rug sprawled across the smooth stone floor with the vaguest hint of the mansion's insignia, a circle with two lines crossed unevenly, once embedded onto the fabric. A small wooden table stood at its center, a glass vase containing a lily white flower resting on top. The flower was noticeably fresh, its color seeming to glow radiantly in the pale light.

"Someone's been here," Red commented, consciously lowering his volume. His voice still echoed throughout the environment, in spite of his efforts. "The flowers there - they were picked recently."

"How do you know that?" Serena questioned near the stairs, her lowered voice mimicking his volume.

"My mom… she likes to garden…" the Pokemon trainer pondered for a brief moment in his train of thought. "She and Professor Oak would always go on and on without end about which plants were healthiest for Pokemon to be around in - at least back when I took a break from my travels and visited home..." A twinge of guilt struck his heart again at the mention of his dear mother, but he brushed the thought away.

"Keep quiet, and stay together, in case there are any enemies around."

On cue, Serena suddenly turned towards the west hallway without a word. "W-Wait, Serena, I said we should - "

"There might be someone else here," she shot back with a pointed glance, "but we're gonna find them first. I'm not going to wait around to get hit around again, you know." And with that, she disappeared into the shadows of the hall, Greninja trailing after her with startling speed.

Red sighed again, this time aimed at himself. He really needed to stop worrying constantly over Serena like that.

"_It cannot be helped,_" Lucario shrugged, then soon followed the other trainer into the hall. "_But you are correct in assuming that we must stick together. It's best that we follow her._" Squirtle and Ivysaur both looked up at Red with curious, judging eyes, waiting for direction.

"Oh, come on! Don't give me that look, you guys! She's older than me, I can't tell her what to do."

He paused, looking back at their staring orbs before resolving to reach for their Pokeballs inside his pockets, clicking on the buttons to enlarge them.

"C'mon you two, it really isn't safe for you guys to be wandering about anyways."

Bright beams of light emerged from the pried open pokeballs, absorbing Squirtle and Ivysaur out of existence and into the safe confines of the Pokeball. Once his pokemon were secured inside, the red-vested trainer hurried along after the rest of the group.

The foyer continued to grow dimmer as light faded from the only window at the end of the outstretched hallway, making navigation difficult for the wandering party. Lucario provided some semblance of light with his Aura Palm, and despite Serena's previously emboldened attitude, the two trainers didn't stray too far out of reach from the other Pokemon. Their process of searching the hall thoroughly was put on repeat; Serena would open one of the numerous doors in the hallway, briefly investigate the room to no avail, and move onto the next room over while the rest of the group watched carefully from behind. It was a monotonous routine to continue check the rooms each door one by one, but the increasing tension kept Red awake and alert. His fingers remained perched on Charizard's pokeball as he awaited for the situation to call for his companion's help.

He felt a swelling ache of regret on relying on Charizard, who still had no idea what had happened to their home world, and the idea of throwing his fire-breathing friend into this messy situation without warning. Nevertheless, Charizard was inarguably his most powerful pokemon of the trio, and with the worst yet to come, Red couldn't afford to hesitate.

When they turned a corner, Serena pulled the handle of another door, which was notably wider than the previous doors behind. This time, however, it had made an audible clicking noise and remained firmly shut.

"It's locked," After a few solid shakes of the door handle, the trainer continued to stare down the knob with irritated grey eyes.

For a brief moment, no one said anything in response.

Red could've sworn he heard some sort of rustling sound from inside, but considering the lack of reaction from the others, he shook his head at the thought and blamed it on his overactive imagination.

"Let's keep moving, then," he eventually concluded. "I don't think anyone would be in there if it's locked. Maybe the house staff locked it a while ago…"

He turned away from the mysterious room and toward the rest of the hallway, hurrying to get away from the door as quickly as possible. The rest of the group followed behind him, spare for Lucario remaining still - if only for a moment. He, too, was wary of the contents beyond the barrier, but ultimately trailed after everyone and remained at the rear of the party.

The trainers and Pokemon companions continued on their directionless journey through the hallway until the sound of a click of an opening door caught their attention. Soon enough, Red and Serena whirled their heads around in horror of what awaited them as an enormous shadow loomed over the group. Lucario was the first one to act, swiftly holding a flame-soaked paw of a threatening aura. The mysterious stranger stood before them, one whom was well over seven feet tall and became slightly more visible by the faint glow of the aural energy.

"Of course. It was you strange Pokemon children," the figure muttered in a tremendous baritone. Red, to his reserved terror, immediately recognized who the deep voice belonged to.

"Ganondorf?" he asked, less terrified and more bewildered. "What… are you wearing?"

Ganondorf, the infamous King of Evil, looked the same as Red had remembered with a major exception to his appearance. His bright orange hair gleaming like fire and his dark skin muddy as ever, and yet in place of his usual elaborate armor was an uncharacteristic bathrobe, complete with flower anagrams and a coffee mug in hand that read "20% stud, 80% muffin" on the side.

The expression on the dark lord's face was of nothing but pure irritation. "All you wretched people decided to come to the mansion's doorstep in the earlier hours of the morning," he simply stated, his displeasure dripping from his tongue, "and I hadn't a free moment yet to change."

"People?" Serena squeaked, now recovering from her initial shock.

Right on cue, the locked door from down the hall opened wide and a sudden warm light pouring from its crevice, along with several other individuals. A beautiful blonde of fair skin and dressed in a pink ball gown had protectively grasped a younger child in a striped shirt. Next to her and the young boy was a clothed anthropomorphic fox who peeked his snout over her shoulder.

"Red! Lucario!" the woman exclaimed, letting go of the child and running past Ganondorf to embrace the Pokemon trainer.

"Oh, thank goodness! Some of you children are alright, after all!" She looked just ready to burst into happy tears as she continued to squeeze the life out of Red with her constrictive hold.

"P-Peach...!" he gasped for air, "I can't breath– !"

The fox sighed in relief when realizing the elusive outsiders were ones of familiar faces. "Geez, Red, we thought that there were some Primid trying to come in here. Don't scare us like that, or Ganondorf would'a actually killed you!"

"No fair," the child pouted as he crossed his arms. "I wanted to beat up some Primids."

Peach let go of Red to turn on her heel and wag a thin, gloved finger at the child. "Now Ness, you know that's dangerous! We don't want everyone to get hurt – especially you, little mister!"

"_Heey_! I'm no kid! I can beat those guys up real good!" Ness turned towards Fox, a sparkle of hope in his youthful eyes. "Right, Fox?"

"Don't push your luck, kid," Fox rolled his eyes, up until he noticed the elephant in the room gone unaddressed.

"Red, who's the girl and the other Pokemon?" he questioned.

All eyes turned towards Serena, who soon became completely frozen in her speechlessness and stared back at everyone with startled, wide eyes. Red had to take a moment in order to catch his breath before remembering who else was with him.

"U-Um, this here is Serena and her Pokemon, Greninja," Red explained. "Greninja's a new fighter, actually – he's got the invite and everything. She's his trainer and escort."

"Red _did_ noticed the flowers that one of you placed in the foyer from earlier," Lucario finally spoke up and sent an accusing gaze Ganondorf's way.

"The white Alstroemeria is a symbol of friendship." Only a coy smirk grew on the large man's face. "I am glad someone recognized its importance and why I had placed it there."

When all turned to face him once more, Ganondorf coughed awkwardly. "I-I had grown fond of botany and gardening in my time here."

Peach had made her way over to the shell-shocked Serena and gently held the young girl's hand into her own soft gloved ones. "Dear, it's quite alright," she soothed, a warm smile gracing her features, "There is no need to be afraid of us." The princess let out a lively giggle. "Believe me, I know that seeing things and people you're unaccustomed to can be very frightening. But I promise you that everyone will be on their best behavior." On her last statement, Red knew for a fact that she was talking about Ganondorf, as he awkwardly shifted in his stance at the mere mention.

"I am Princess Peach," she smiled, her blooming cheeks brimming with her kindness. "There isn't any need for formalities, though, since we're all among friends here! I'll personally make sure that nothing will happen to you, alright Serena? No monsters, giant men, or anything will scare me away from you!"

It took a moment for Serena to respond, only being able to muster a quick, nervous nod with a slight nudge on the shoulder from Greninja. Peach smiled and patted her hand. "Come, dear – I'll make you some hot tea to calm your nerves."

"Oh, and by the by," she turned her head towards Red and Lucario, "some of us are already here, by the way. We just need to wait for everyone to arrive, in accordance to emergency procedures, alright?"

The two both nodded, and soon enough Peach led Serena and Greninja into the doorway. Ness quickly ran to join Red's side, reaching for a quick hug before leading him by the hand into the meeting room, Lucario and Ganondorf straggling behind. Upon entering, the entire wall of the room facing the doorway was composed of windows that gazed into the vast hills of the area. At the center, an elongated business table complete with office chairs stretched across the room, big enough to occupy the entirety of the tournament contestants. Just as Peach had confirmed, some other fighters were already here and were separated into groups of their respective friends in various spots throughout the room. The Smasher Mansion now housing more acquainted friends alongside some new faces seem to put less of a damper on the whole tense situation.

Ness scampered off again over to Toon Link, as everyone had affectionately called him, and a new girl - one whom Red didn't recognize - with a blonde bun resting upon the top of her head and tanned skin. Fox had reunited with Falco, who sat in one of the chairs with his metal legs kicked up on the edge of the tabletop, and struck a conversation with him. Off in the corner, Meta Knight reluctantly withstood the pestering from a crazed, frantic King Dedede. Red duly noted that perhaps the absence of a certain pink puffball, Kirby, could be the reason why the large penguin was much more on edge than usual. Luigi was on the opposite side of the table, presently being comforted by another unfamiliar woman, another Red did not recall as well. This newcomer fashioned a short brown bob and a crown similar to Peach's. In place of an extravagant ball gown akin to what the Mushroom Kingdom princess wore, she donned on a pair of orange shorts and a crop top to match. Lastly, Ganondorf joined next to Bowser's side, in which the large beast attempted to join in the couple's conversation but was hence ignored. As for Peach, she settled Serena down close to Daisy and Luigi and had already producing a cup of fresh tea in a porcelain set.

"So…" Red looked to Lucario, who stood in the door frame. "We wait?"

"We wait," he agreed and took a spot near the doorway so he could sit down and meditate. Red released a tired sigh, before taking a seat by Serena. Greninja, beside her, eyed him suspiciously for a good amount of time.

And wait they did.

It stayed fairly quiet in the conference room, save for the small tremors of whispers and conversations that were scattered throughout the meeting area. Serena had since tucked Greninja away in his Pokeball and, after some time, finally recovered with the gentle guidance of Peach. Serena warmed up enough to strike up a deep conversation between the two, and completely ignored the boy as the result. The princess constantly caressed the girl's hands with comfort and looked at her with understanding eyes, as if it were a mother conversing with her daughter. Peach had always been like that, Red acknowledged, since she was always known to be the mother figure for many of the attendees there throughout the years and a fiery, protective side to match. 'The Mother of the Smashers', he fondly recalled - the title really did suit her, considering her association with the head Smasher of all.

Red finally built up enough of his courage to talk to Ganondorf, who begrudgingly obliged out of sheer boredom. It was then that Red discovered how the proclaimed King of Evil had taken residence at the mansion since the conclusion of the Brawl tournament all those years ago.

"I had no desire to return to Hyrule at the time," he upheld his indifferent demeanor while sipping his coffee in between. "Why return to a country where you'll be hounded alive and skewered again by a goddess-forsaken green hero? I am an old man – tired of chasing after that long forgotten dream, for now. Perhaps this world has become my dominion now; with Master Hand gone, so shall I be satisfied with this sliver of power." And that was the end of that.

True to Peach's word, more challengers slowly trickled their way into the room, one by one as the day went on. Olimar waddled his way into a chair with of a trail of multicolored Pikmin following close behind in formation like ducks. Soon after, a disheveled Diddy Kong, nervously chewing on his hat; his constant companion, the larger ape Donkey Kong, was notably missing. Wario entered along with them as well, keeping up an unamused façade while munching on a fresh clove of garlic as if it were any other regular day. Ike later arrived shortly thereafter, but was all but recognizable to the entire crowd. His muscular physique had grown tremendously, akin to a heavyweight lifter rather than the lean swordfighter from years back. His mere biceps rippled as he straddled in, the pecks in his leather vest bulging along. Red, along with everyone else, was beyond startled and slightly curious of the sudden change.

"It was needed," Ike simply responded with a grunt. Somehow, everyone felt that it was a good sign to know that his mannerism didn't change with his new body.

Time continued to drawl on by, to the point where Red felt akin to waiting for paint to dry. Even the smallest of conversations had died down from the initial group anticipation and collective anxiousness. Eventually the sky outside grew orange, and everyone fell into a mutual silence amidst awful dread filling their stomachs.

The last group to enter the lobby before sunset consisted of Pit dragging in an irritated Link, all while a tall, radiant woman in white glided behind the two. She was yet another person Red couldn't discern, but it was near impossible to describe her graceful figure as anything but one of a beautiful goddess. Her long emerald hair cascaded to the floor, the features of her face could only be described as exquisite and angelic, and the pearly white and gold of her attire seemed to shimmer and sparkle in an unseen light. The very sight of the woman made his cheeks flush pink, but his thoughts cleared up once his eyes flickered back at Serena.

"Whoo! Glad we made it in time, huh?" Pit exclaimed to Link, in which he merely grumbled in response. The angel noticed Red from across the way, still astounded by the tall woman in their party, and flew over to meet his side with a beaming face that could light the room.

"Hey, bro!" He enthusiastically extended his fist. "Long time no see!"

"Pit…!" The Pokemon trainer blinked for a few seconds before registering Pit's greeting. He kindly responded to Pit's friendliness with his own fist gently bumping the angel's. "You don't – aren't you worried? Nervous? At all?"

"Why would I be? I got Lady Palutena on my side now, so there's no need to worry!" He gestured to the green-haired woman, seen exchanging a hardened stare towards Princess Peach.

"No one else will be coming," she loudly addressed the whole room. "Only King Marth of Altea has arrived in the lands, but it will be a few days before he arrives here. So it's best to start your little meeting now."

"How'dya know that?" Falco asked from the opposing side of the room. "And what about the otha' people missin', like Mario? That guy's important enough."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeves," Her smile, like Pit's, seemed to illuminate the area. "You can call it magic. As for the missing persons…"

Palutena shared a silent exchange with Peach once again. To the goddess, the startled look in the young princess's eyes said enough. Peach then dismissed the growing presence of panic she experienced and reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"We'll start then," she said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Even Serena was visibly concerned by the sudden disappearance of her bubbly mannerisms.

"Indeed." Palutena gestured for Pit to join her by her side, and immediately both sat down together. On the other hand, Link sat down at the furthest seat away from Palutena and Ganondorf, but not before giving the latter a nasty look unbefitting of the goofiness he usually put on. Both he and Ike, to whom was conveniently sitting in the next chair over, exchanged a brief nod.

It didn't take long until the deafening silence stifled the air like a heavy cloud. Everyone's thoughts were the same, yet none of the smashers - veteran and newcomer - knew where to begin or what to say.

"So…" the blonde girl beside Toon Link had spoken up after the long pause, "What _is _happening, anyway? Why are those…um –"

"Primids," Toon Link whispered in her ear.

"– Primids doing in our homes? I-It's not like I know about it, I'm not even here for your tournament anyway…"

"Primids are the byproduct of Subspace," Palutena was quick to summarize before anyone else was able to reply, "The Subspace being another dimension that is very different from our own, where nothing but darkness and evil make up its entire existence."

"And how'd ya know that, lady?" Wario interjected from the other side of the room. "It's not like you's was here during the Subspace War or anythin'."

"Of course she was!" Pit exclaimed before he caught himself. "Well – okay, technically she wasn't actually _here_ per se, but Lady Palutena helped me out during the whole thing. She's the one who gave me my bow to fight and my wings to fly. In fact, she's the one who got me into the war in the first place."

Peach's eyes lit up when recollecting memories of the past war.

"So the goddess that you told us about back then… this is her?"

"Yes, I am she," Palutena smiled again, but not nearly as warm as before. A swift lowering of her head took place for a bow. "Forgive me for not properly introducing myself, but yes – I am Palutena, goddess of light." A quiet murmer rustled itself among the fighters. Red was astonished at the fact, since he didn't think the woman would _actually _turn out to be a goddess.

Her narrowed eyes soon crossed over to Wario's presence. "And, to answer your question, garlic man, the Primids and Subspace have long been a subject of interest for a long time, particularly during their emergence in the third Smash Bros. tournament."

"In fact," her piercing expression turned to almost mock him. "I know more about their existence than anyone in this room. Perks of being an all-knowing goddess, right?"

Luckily, Ike was quick to change the subject before Wario could spew any more garbage from his mouth. "We know that they follow their commander mindlessly, but who would command them? Tabuu was destroyed long ago."

"A-And that being said," Dedede interrupted. "The Subspace was supposed to be gone for, too! Why are we dealing with these chumps in the first place?"

"Subspace was never destroyed, though," Ganondorf refuted with a huff. "We only destroyed their portals to this world."

Red sensed the king mutter some sort of vexed insult under his breath. Dedede thankfully didn't pick up on it.

"Even if we _did_ done any damage to it, Subspace would have regenerated at some point in time. Yes, it's true that its king is vanquished, but the state of Subspace remains all the more intact. It is the epitome of darkness; it can never be completely destroyed."

"You _would_ know from experience…" Link murmured quietly to himself. Ganondorf probably heard it, but Red assumed he simply ignored the remark.

"Ike's point still stands, though…" Luigi said with slight hesitation. "Who's-a leading them now?"

"That is something I may have the answer to." A black envelope appeared within Palutena's hand in a flash of light as she tossed it onto the table. "I received this letter before the tournament was to begin, and I have enough reasonable suspicion that the person who sent it is behind these attacks."

In an instant, there was a visible commotion among the Smashers. "Who sent it, then?" Ness asked, poking his head through the crowd gathering around the obsidian message.

"Oh, about that – the culprit didn't leave a name, of course."

Despite the multiple groans echoing throughout the room, a playful smile outlined the goddess's lips. "The good news for us, however, is that I was able to recognize the magical residue left on the letter through my All-Seeing Eye. The location was untraceable, but I'm familiar with this type of magic and who exactly it belongs to."

Palutena took the moment, in where everyone was waiting with anticipation and bated breath, to directly address to everyone under her serious gaze.

"The one who is almost certainly behind these attacks is an entity known as the Time Mistress."

A resounding silence took a chokehold over the room and its inhabitants for a second time, but was quickly cut short from the coarse collective laughter by none other than Bowser, King Dedede, and Wario.

"What, like that's actually supposed to strike fear into our hearts?" Bowser cackled loudly, wiping a tear away with his claw. "Make us quake in our boots? _Pee ourselves_? You might as well tell me that Toads can fly! Quit pullin' our tails, lady!"

"Yeah, why ain't we ever hear of this here 'Time Mistress' before?" Dedede added in between snorting fits. "And why's we supposed to believe the likes of you, huh?"

Murmurs of doubt and uncertainty spread amongst each other as all eyes turned towards the goddess. Her loyal servant, Pit, looked up at his mistress with concern.

"Lady Palutena…you've never once told me about this person."

She graced her sad, almost pitiful smile. "I'm sorry, Pit, but this isn't something I like to talk about." She then refocused her attention once more to the rest of the fighters, though her eyes remained firm on the black letter and her voice solemn and tight.

"If you are willing, I ask all of you to give me the chance to explain myself. I was only but a young goddess, barely a few thousand years into my reign – well before you existed, Pit – when a dark power rose in the human world. We gods and goddesses thought nothing of it, but in due time, this power known as the Time Mistress threatened our entire existence – both man and deity alike. The gods of Skyworld had no other choice but to seal her away so that she may never pose a threat to civilization ever again. It's apparent, however, that the Time Mistress had broken free from her prison. I, as well as the other gods, were never aware of it until it was too late. Her power must have grown significantly since her imprisonment all that time ago…

"The Time Mistress is a very powerful sorceress, attaining the unique ability to manipulate the effects of time on a being. When she first became known to the world, she was resurrecting monsters and fabled beasts of old scripture unto the poor humans of our realm, threatening their very extinction. It was nothing short of a miracle that we were able to seal her away when we did, and it took the combined effort of all the gods in existence then. If she has risen once again and is now involved all your worlds in her madness… she may very well bring an end to the peace that remains within the multiverse."

A pregnant silence in the meeting room had overtaken everyone once Palutena ended her speech, as not another peep was heard from the veteran antagonists again. This time, however, it seemed that everyone was at a loss for words and were unsure where to begin if the goddess was indeed telling the truth.

Finally, Toon Link's companion broke through the stillness yet again. "So what do we do, then?" she demanded. "Do we just sit around like ol' deadbeats and let this hag destroy everything we care about?"

"Tetra…" Toon Link ushered to her quietly.

"Link, _shut up_."

She fixated her voice to the rest of the group. "He's told me all about you guys – how the 'Great Smashers' saved the world 'n all. I'm not seeing any Great Smashers, though." Her finger whipped around the room accusingly, her own eyes igniting a fiery spirit. "What I'm seeing is a bunch of pussies too scared and too stupid to get off their buns and do anything about this! I'm no Smasher, sure, but I'll damned be the first to march over to that Time Mistress lady and kick her ass. What of you?"

"You have no place to speak for what we do, you thick-headed _child_," Ganondorf indignantly spat back. "It's just as you said, you are no Smasher."

"But she's right," Ike cut in quickly to side with Tetra before she was to begin a shouting match. "All we've been doing all day is sitting around. We're supposed to be legendary fighters, so it's about time we acted like it. We don't need to wait for everyone to gather; when Subspace first invaded, we all did our own thing and we got along just fine. I say we find out where the Time Mistress is hiding and show her who's boss here." Ike's reasoning managed to stir a few cheers of the same sentiment, primarily from a rowdy Ness and crew from Team Star Fox.

"Do you know where we can find her?" Peach looked to Palutena once more.

"Unfortunately, her magic is strong enough to block out her current location, to which even _I_ can't see where she is. But it makes the most sense that she'd be somewhere here, in the World of Trophies. It's the central hub for cross-universe interaction, after all. Anyone can access the other worlds from here if given the right power."

"Then we need to all go find her, yeah? Show her em' big dogs!" Dedede puffed his chest forward, a wild grin on spread wide on his face. The brunette next to Luigi flashed a similar grin and pounded the table with her fist in agreement. More and more of the fighters grew high-spirited and rambunctious, the thought of fighting back once more exciting them further. Even Red felt the electricity contagious and joined along with the others in the rousing calls for battle.

"Makes sense for us to all go in a big group and find her location," Ike nodded with crossed arms.

Invigorated by everyone's bravery, Pit smiled back to his goddess. "I think we found our next move, then. To when should we go?"

"What about our worlds, though?"

A small, nearly discreet voice somehow rose above the rising cacophony. Her single statement was quick to snuff out all bravado from the entire area in one fell sweep.

"I said," Serena repeated once more, raising the volume of her voice, "What about our worlds?" Once all heads turned to the newcomer of honey-blonde locks, she locked eyes with Red.

"What about them?" Oddly enough, Wario of all people was the first to respond.

"Are you all not going to do anything about the Primids?" she shot back in a sharp tone, looking around the whole group accusingly. "There are people out there _dying_ everywhere. And all of you…you all are just gonna leave them to their own devices and have them suffer while you all _play hero_?"

"The Primids won't stop unless their source of power is vanquished, dear," Peach stepped in and attempted to calm her with a gentle tone, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Serena coldly brushed her hand away with a rigid slap from where she stood. "Whatever is going on, however this whole thing works – your priority should be for the people no matter what. Why aren't any of you going rushing back to your worlds and saving them?"

"Bah," Bowser grumbled to himself with a roll of his eyes. "Enough of this foolishness."

"As we have reiterated to the other brat, _girl_," Ganondorf stared her down with a darkening glare, "You've no say in what we do. You are but a stranger, a _leech_ on our being. You, too, are not a Smasher, and any right to say about what we must and mustn't do does _not_ exist."

The menacing stare down from the Gerudo leader didn't faze her one bit. "It doesn't matter if I'm not a Smasher; I'm still involved in this, whether I want to or not. But you guys – you legendary warriors and heroes – you're all supposed to be the best of your homes, the ones most able to defend it, and yet you're all prepared to leave it to die! What does that make you all? _Cowards_!"

"I agree with her," Link had, at last, spoken up for the first time since his arrival. "I need to go back to Hyrule. We ought to protect our homes."

"Ah, _Link._ So you want to play hero again, huh?" Ganondorf sneered at his nemesis' so-called heroism. "I did notice the absence of the wench of the Goddesses by your side. Could it be that your intentions aren't as noble as you would perceive them to be?"

"My business doesn't concern you, pig," the green-clad hero barked back. "Zelda hasn't arrived yet, so I need to go find her."

"Oh yes – Nayru forbid anything happen to that wretched _whore_ of a princess. Perhaps if my luck is truly secure, she would have already lost that pretty little head of hers."

An immediate scrape of blazing metal, and Link had already launched himself straight toward Ganondorf, poising the Master Sword at the larger man's neck in a split second.

"So help me, you _damned_ bastard – say just one more thing about her and I'll slay you from where you stand! I've killed you once before, and I can do it again!"

Ganondorf laughed at the hero's rage-filled fury as he cracked his fist, a malevolent dark energy radiating from his open palm. Truly it was a sight to see with his bathrobe on. "I'd like to see you try, fairy boy! I've longed for the thrill of snapping every bone in your body!"

"Enough, you two!" Peach stood up, amplifying her previously delicate voice. Ike managed to come from behind Link and hold him back, to the latter's protest. "There is no point to fighting like children! Honestly, and at a time like this…!"

"Kiss my ass, Peach! Ganondorf's going down!"

"HEY!" A furious brunette promptly rose to Peach's side and readied her fists. "Take that back, you asshole! That's my best friend you're talking to!"

The room erupted into outbursts of yelling and bickering soon enough, some cowering from under the table while others, like Ness and the girl named Tetra, continued egging more fights to break out. The brunette princess – Daisy, as Peach had mentioned while she was begging for the fighting to cease – was locked in a shouting match with Bowser just as Ganondorf and Link brandished their swords, an irate Ike attempting to hold the latter back. For everyone else, the rest of the tournament challengers were arguing just for the sake of it, whether it be due to the stress of the situation or for the pure amusement of it all. Red was caught right in the middle of the chaos, unsure what to do or what to say, when he caught sight of Serena slipping out from the crowd and outside the room. In light of the whole situation crumbling down, he had no other choice to follow her.

"Serena, wait!" Red called to her as she stormed down the dark hallway. She didn't bother to respond, only continuing to tread with heavy footsteps and clenched fists, a visible anger seeping out of her very being.

"Serena! Serena – please!" Red managed to grab hold of her arm, only for Serena to spin around with a righteous amount of fury crossing her face.

"My family's out there, Red!" she yelled, tears threatening to leave her eyes. "_Your_ family's out there! My friends, your friends, a-and their friends…! Everyone that we know and love could be dead, and you guys won't do shit about it!"

"Serena…"

"Do any of you even care?! Do _you_ even care?!"

"Of course I do!" he finally snapped, an uncharacteristically heated edge found in his tone that even stopped Serena on her rant. "Do you really think _I_ don't care at all? That my own family and friends never _once_ crossed my mind?"

Red stopped himself from going any further. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes with furrowed brows. "Look. I know you're scared for them – I am, too. But we can't do anything about that right at this moment. All that we can do is find the Time Mistress as quickly as possible and stop her from causing any more harm, okay? I want to go back to my home as much as you do, but right now, that isn't an option."

Serena's gaze wavered for a small moment before wiping away stray tears from her cheeks. Red's frown grew at the sight.

"Tell you what," he began. "If all else fails, and this takes too long, I'll bring you back to Kalos myself – I'll help you protect everyone, okay? I promise."

A brief pause before Serena somberly nodded. Red breathed a sigh of relief and promptly bowed his head to the floor. That is, until the sound of crashing glass and a scream was heard from inside the conference room. The two Pokemon trainers needed only a moment to exchange glances before running back into the room together, where the sight made them stop in their tracks in total shock.

The broad windows which were facing the sunset were all gone, only to leave broken remnants discarded on the floor. In its place stood an army of Subspacians –monstrous beings a few hundred strong, gurgling and moving to the rhythm of some unheard melody. What was most startling to Red however, was a boy standing in front of the army that was the exact mirror image of Pit. Downright parallel in every way, sans the color of his hair, eyes, and wings. This darker version of Pit was clothed in the black-themed attire, and carried a deep, angry scowl along with ruby-colored eyes that glowed in the casted shadow of the dying sun. Even his wings were an inky, murky color, a stark difference compared to Pit's pure white ones.

The Smashers stood as a group in complete astonishment, some trembling in fear. Pit, upon seeing the doppelganger, let out an audible gasp.

"Pitto? What the heck are you doing here?"

The black angel spotted Pit in the crowd and gave a disgusted groan, slapping his forehead. "Gods, of _course_ Pitstain would be here," he cursed, his hand sliding off his face as he looked to the sky. "Just my luck."

"Ignore goody two-shoes over here," He then, in a nonchalant manner, gestured his long staff-like gun to the crowd of Smashers. "Name's Dark Pit, and on behalf of Viridi, Goddess of Nature, and the Time Mistress – blah blah blah... surrender yourselves… blah blah blah, whatever. I'll cut the chase," Dark Pit playfully swiveled his staff until the blunt end of the weapon was aimed squarely between Pit's eyes.

"_We're here to kill you all."_

* * *

_**By far the longest chapter of the story, a whopping 2,000 words above the last record. I'm blaming it on the sheer amount of characters in this scene along with my inability to write Red jfc**_

_**This chapter was originally intended to come out before the last one, but I was having such a difficult time with this one that I ended up delaying it. I also had a much easier time writing Lucina, since she's so dear to me and I'm so invested in her character arc for this story. Thank you for your patience!**_

_**HUGE thank you to the lovely beta goddess A. Mitsuni, who is truly a goddess in every sense of the word. The writing in this chapter was utter poopoo before she worked her magic on it and turned it into diamonds. Please also check out her own SSB story, Strangers of Glory, and give the lady some props. She's worked very hard on her own work and on editing.**_

_**Until next time!**_


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